San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-28
To Cooperate With Ship
pers in Preventing
Shortages.
UP COUNTRY
Nine Districts Named and
Forces Assigned to
Each.
BY HARDEN COLFAX.
By the Associated Press.

Washington, ID. c.. Jan. 27.-ThS
American Railway Association. conn
posed Of virtually all the leading rail
roads of the country, has adopted 4
new plan to eliminate car shortage II
the future, so far as it can be elimin
ated. In brief, the plan provides TO
common counsel with the shippers. ThT
roads hope to make the shippers thei
partners in working out transporter
ton problems.
To that end the United States ha
been divided into nine districts an
field forces have been placed by tn
association in each district, Head
quarters have been established for tn
field forces at Chicago, Toledo,
Paul and Minneapolis, Cincinnati, ST.
Louis. Birmingham and Dallas. Thes
Headquarters take care of the pla
in seven districts. The eighth dis
trict. comprising New England and tn
Atlantic seaboard as far south as tn
North Carolina line, will be taken car
of from Washington. So also will III
ninth district, which comprises Wasl
ington, Oregon, California, Idaho, NJ
vada and Utah.
Want Definite Results.
District managers have been not
fled in instructions issued through th /
car service division Of the asosciatio
here, that their appointments have bee
made for the purpose of securing "cef
tain definite results" chief of whic
are:
The establishment and maintenanQ
of closer and local relationship wit
railroad officers to the end that ca
distribution may meet most efefctunlI
the demands of commerce and car Sc
vice rules may be understood and o
served.
Providing a neutral point of COZ
tact with shippers and their aSsocis
tons for the purpose of a mutual unde
standing of common problems, partic
larry to secure their cooperation in Il
enforcement of the car service rules
a knowledge of their underlying pri
ciples and of the necessity for the rul
to equalize car distribution between d.
ferent sections of the country.
Shipper Committee Named.
"Localizing the supervision over t
work of car service agents engaged
checking the observance of car seryi
rules and special instructions and
a close contact with the operating CO
ditions in each territory insure I
| practical application of such regu
TONS"
The first of the shippers COMMITTEE
has been appointed and is in oper
| ton at the present time. Its headqut
tiers are at Minneapolis and its pt
sonnet consists of about 20 of the ch
grain and other shippers Of the Nor
| west. A similar committee is bel
formed for service in this city to ass
the railroads in working out their Pre-
lens in the new eighth district.
Other committees will be named
! the near future to cover problems
the other districts.
Each district manager is instruct
to aacQuaint himself thoroughly W
shipping and traffic conditions in
field. Assistants have been assigned
district managers, and; in most cas-
small forces of field workers have be
placed under their orders. The ch
duties of district managers, the car
| vice instructions state, are as follow
ITO supervise the handling OF ECU
ment.
"To assist in any practical way
the adjustment OF local problems OF
terchange and operation Of ECU
ment.
TO anticipate car loading requI
ments and assist in arranging S
ply.
ITO keep thoroughly in touch W
local conditions and render all pr
teal assistance in avoiding account
tons and congestion.
ITO maintain contact with shipp
and their organizations and ARA
conferences when desirable for the r
pose of assisting in transported
problems.
ITO enlist the cooperation of S
pers in prompt release of equipmei
heavy loading and in all particulars
specting efficiency in car service"
So far as known this is the
time the railroads have decided a
unit to get together with the ship
in the discussion of transportation p
lens. The carriers feel that worl
with the shippers will be far more
fectual than without them and tina
result there will be material benz
to both in periods of peak traffic in
future.