THE TRANSPORTATION EMBARGO 83 



In addition, thousands of different railroad offi- 

 cials, each one of whom is interested in carrying the 

 freight that brings the highest return and that insures 

 the longest haul over his particular road are deter- 

 mining for us what commodities shall be carried and 

 what not. There is little thought of the needs of the 

 whole nation or concern for the industrial and agricul- 

 tural life of the whole people. Railroading is run for 

 the railroads. It must be run for national service — 

 possibly for national existence. 



This is not a fanciful condition. In hearings re- 

 cently held by the Federal Trade Commission, wit- 

 nesses stated that the railroads diverted coal-cars 

 from the transportation of fuel to the transportation 

 of commodities upon which higher rates were ob- 

 tainable. Coal-cars were diverted to the carrying 

 of automobiles, and as a result the price of bitumi- 

 nous coal increased $2 a ton at the mine in one year's 

 time. It doubled and trebled the price in many 

 cities. One witness stated that the railroads made 

 use of the alleged car shortage to coerce the mine- 

 owners to sell coal to the railroads on the road's 

 terms. He stated that the railroads refused to 

 carry coal for ordinary commercial purposes in order 

 to crowd down the price charged for their own use 

 by creating a glut at the mines. A coal operator 

 on the Chesapeake and Ohio road said that one-half 

 of the 40,000 coal-cai-s o\Mied by that railroad were 

 being used for the transportation of other commodi- 



