Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 283, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1917 — AVOID HOLDING LOADED CARS [ARTICLE]

AVOID HOLDING LOADED CARS

Shipperfi Found to Be Abusing Their Diversion Privilege and Wasting Much Car Space. (From the United States Department of Agriculture.) - Shippers who hold loaded cars at yards while deciding on their final destination contribute importantly to tli6 shortage in transportation according to the bureau of markets of the United States departmeht of agriculture. Specialists who studied conditions at the Potomac yards, Virginia, for 30 days last summer, found that 236 cars of perishable commodities were held on the average of 44 hours each by shippers or consignees before issuing orders to move the cars. No car held for less than 24 hours was counted. A car of cabbage was held 78 hours; a car of watermelons, 84 hours; a car of cucumbers, 104 hours; a car of potatoes, 128 hours; and a car of tomatoes, 213 hours. These facts make clear that shippers through these yards are abusing their diversion privilege and are wasting much car space by not keeping their cars moving. The remedy Is to file diversion orders in advance of arrival. As Potomac yards is only one of hundreds of important diversion’ points, the waste, the specialists point out, is significant and without compensating advantage to owners.