TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE FACILITIES 599 



harvest will extend over 3 months or more from about June 10. 

 Doubtless much wheat will be stored after harvest awaiting better 

 prices. Not all the cars of any road serving the wheat belt are 

 available for wheat traffic. The Santa Fe system, for instance, with 

 extensive mileage in New Mexico, Arizona, and California, must 

 necessarily keep a large part of its cars confined to the business of 

 those states. Account must be taken of general commercial condi- 

 tions also, and of whether the tonnage of other commodities handled 

 in box cars is above or below normal during the wheat movement. 

 Indications this year are for a heavy crop of corn and oats, the move- 

 ment of both of which commodities will still further complicate the 

 situation as regards wheat. 



In the long run every man gets all the cars ordered, and from that 

 point of view there is no shortage. No statement of "car shortage" 

 means anything until we know the time limitation and other condi- 

 tions on which it is based. In its semi-monthly bulletins of car sur- 

 pluses and shortages the American Railway Association lays down the 

 rule that the figures must represent the differences between "cars 

 ordered" on a given day and "cars available." "Cars available" is 

 defined as any empties of the kind ordered, either en route in trains 

 or on sidings, which can be used to fill the orders of that day, and 

 includes also such loaded cars as will be made empty within 24 hours. 



The opinion prevails in some sections that any shortage this year 

 will be due more to lack of motive power and terminal facilities than 

 to lack of cars. One of the greatest drawbacks has always been 

 failure to load and unload promptly and too frequent reconsigning 

 of shipments. The indications are that shippers and carriers are 

 co-operating this year more closely than ever before in their efforts 

 to avert a car shortage in the movement of the wheat crop. 



188. TERMINAL FACILITIES 1 



The principal purpose of this Committee has been to show how the 

 difficulties and expense surrounding the terminal situation in New 

 York City have increased during the past ten years with particular 

 reference to food products, rather than to consider the terminal ele- 

 ment in food costs absolutely, although certain facts in regard to the 

 latter will be referred to. The keynote of the terminal problem of 



1 Adapted from Report of the Committee on Terminals and Transportation, of 

 the New York State Food Investigating Commission, pp. 20-34. 



