Evening star., 1924-08-16
ROADS PREPARED
FOR CROP MOVING
Western Lines in Excellent
Shape for Season, Asso-
=, citation States.
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, August 16.-With the
crop movement under way. the West
ern Railway Association states that
its roads are in better shape to move
the traffic than probably ever before.
Two conditions are enabling them
thus far to handle the crop as fast as
1t is offered to them, says a statement
issued by the association. On July
is they had assembled and stored in
the grain leading territory about A.
600 cars fit for grain loading. That
is about 10000 more than they had
assembled year before. In addition,
the Western roads have about one
third more of their own box cars on
their own lines than they had a year
ago.
Exceed Last Year.
The total shipments Of grain and
grain products are now exceeding
those of last year. In the week end
ed July ~ the total number of cars
loaded was 1870. an increase of
about $500 cars over the correspond
ing week OF last year. In Western
territory alone the number of cars of
grain and grain products loaded was
se.4s9. an increase of 2,776 cars over
the corresponding week in 1923. Some
of the railways moving grain from
the winter wheat territory are break.
ing all previous records.
The farmers produce vast quanti-
ties of fruits and vegetables which
must be transported in refrigerator
cars. A great deal of difficulty has
been experienced in previous years in
handling this kind of traffic because
there has been very great increase
in it. The railways in 1922 moved
439,27S cars of fruit, 444.S79 cars of
vegetables and 320,S89 cars of fresh
meats. poultry, eggs and dairy prod
ucts, IL total of 1,205,046 cars OF per-
ishable products.
This business in 1928 was at least
$4,000 cars larger. There were severe
congeStionS of refrigerator cars in
many terminals. and in consequence
serious delays in their movement,
largely because of excessive detention
Of them by shippers for reconsign-
ment and other reasons. On April %,
1929, there was total of 1929
refrigerator cars available and on
April 90, 1924. this had increased to
1851. On the latter date the car
builders also had orders for 9.255 re-
frigerator cars which were under
construction and some of which have
DOW been delivered.
Cnr supply Larger.
In consequence. the supply Of cars
available for handling perishables
will be larger than last year. In ad-
dition. cooperative arrangements
have been. made by the railways and
the shippers through the regional ad-
vIsory shippers boards which it is
believed will prevent such conges-
tions and delays as occurred last
year. All the larger organizations of
fruit and vegetable shippers are par
ties to these arrangements.
The unusually good condition the
railways are in to handle the coun-
try's crops is due to several causes.
the statement of the association con-
tinues. One OF these Is the extraordi-
nary expenditures that were made
last year to put all equipment in re-
pair, and that have been made this
year to keep it in repair. This applies
to both locomotives and cars. Another
reason is the extraordinary expendi-
lures that were made by the railways
last year for new equipment.
A third reason is that the railways
now have better arrangements to CO.
operate among themselves through
the car service division in the distri-
button and handling of cars than they
had before. Finally, and of great i'm
portance. are the regional advisory
shippers boards which have been or
4aniZed within the last cWo years in
all parts of the country. These boards
which. as their name implies. are
composed of shippers of commodities
of all kinds. hold regular joint meet
ings with the officers Of the railways
in their territories at which informa-
ion and suggestions are exchanged
by the two parties regarding the
transportation situation and the
measures that should be adopted by
both of them to get the most and best
possible use from the railway equip
ment that is available.