The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-08-15
RAILROADS IN
SHAPE FOR
MOVING CROPS
Western Railway Association
Says 1t Has 10000 More
Cars Than Last Year

Chicago, Aug. l5.-With the crop
movement under way the Western
Railway Association states that its
roads are in better shape to move
the traffic than probably ever be-
fore.
Two conditions are enabling them
thus far to handle the crop as fast
as it is offered to them, says a
statement issued by the Association.
On July Is they had assembled and
stored in the grain loading territory
about $4,000 cars fit for grain load
ing. This is about 10000 more than
they had assembled a year before.
In addition, the western roads have
about one third more of their own
box cars OH their own lines than
they had a year ago.
The total shipments of grain and
grain products are now exceeding
those of last year. In the week end
ed July IL 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
29,4s9, an increase of 2776 cars
over the spending week in
1928. Some of the railways moving
grain from the winter wheat terri
tory are breaking all previous rec
ords.
The farmers produce vast quanti-
ties Of fruits and vegetables which
must be transported in refrigerator
cars. great deal Of difficulty has
been experienced in previous years
in handling this kind of traffic be-
cause there has been such very
great increase in it. The railways
in 1922 moved 439,27S cars of fruit,
444,879 cars Of vegetables and $780,
8S9 cars of fresh meats, poultry,
eggs and dairy products, total Of
1,2O5,O46 cars Of perishable prod
ucts.
This business in 1923 was at
least $4,000 cars larger. There
were severe COMPOSITIONS of refrig-
orator cars in many terminals, AMI
in consequence, serious delays in
their movement, largely because OF
pers for reconsignment and other
reasons. On April 20, 1928, there
was a total of 1929 refrigerator
cars available and on April 20, 1924,
this had increased to ,62l. On
the latter date the car builders also
had orders for 9,255 refrigerator
cars which were under construction
and some of which have now been
delivered.
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
Advisory Shippers Boards, which 1t
is believed will prevent such conges-
tions and delays as occurred last
year. All the larger organizations
of fruit and vegetable shippers are
parties to these arrangements.
The usually good condition the
railways are in to handle the coun-
try's crops is due to several causes,
the statement of the Association
continues. One of these is the ex-
traordnary expenditures that were
made this year to keep it in repair.
This applies to both locomotives and
cars. Another reason is the extra
ordinary expenditures that were
made by the railways last year for
new equipment. A third reason is
that the railways now have better
arrangements to cooperate among
themselves through the Car Service
Division in the distribution and
handling of cars than they had be-
fore. Finally, and Of great impor-
lance, are the Regional Advisory
Shippers Boards which have been
organized within the last two years
in all parts of the country. These
boards which, as their name i'm
plies, are composed of shippers OF
commodities of all kinds, hold reg
ular joint meeting with the officers
of the railways in their territories
at which information and suggestions
are exchanged by the two parties re-
earding 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 equipment that is available
IIIIINNNINKMT