Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1918 — 10,000 LESS CARS ARE IDLE [ARTICLE]

10,000 LESS CARS ARE IDLE

Locomotives and Cars Now in Service Only Slightly in Excess of Number Last Year. Railroads report that on October 1 the excess of unfilled orders from shippers for freight cars over and above the idle cars at different numbered 70,380. Compared with last year this is a slight increase. This is the figure commonly but Inaccurately referred to as “car shortage.” It compares with 77,682 on July L 83,376 on

August 1, 34,605 on September 1. The actual number of unfilled car orders on October 1 was almost identical with the number on October 1 of last year, the figures being 97,573 for October 1, 1917, and 97,854 for September 30, 1916. On the latter date 34,157 cars were idle, whereas on fast October 1 only 24,192 were idle, thus indicating a more efficient use of the available equipment. Returns to the railroads’ war board show that the actual number of cars and locomotives now in service is only slightly in excess of the- number at this time last year. The war board on October 10 had been in existence exactly six months. During that period the railroads have rendered upwards of 15 per cent more service than during the same period of last year, with practically the same plant. The outstanding feature of the situation is the degree to which the railroads® are co-operating wholeheartedly with one another and With the railroads’ war board. „