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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1919)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND. DECEMBER 21, 1910. JOBBERS CRITICISE U. S. RAIL CONTROL Rea in e Jrina or usy Handling of Freight Cars De clared Inefficient. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday then comes Christmas. There is much gift buying yet to be done and The Owl Drug Stores have made the necessary preparations to take care of the crowds. There are still ample quantities of practical gift articles from which you may select. It will be to your advantage to come Monday if possible. DELAYS AROUSE DEALERS; 14 ,!. II Present Service Regarded . as Be low Old Standard and Detri mental to Business Houses. When a car of foodstuffs dallies a month on a trip that should occupy not more than a week, when "tracers" fail even to gain touch with the van ished goods, and when the same oc currence transpires again and again with monotonous and coally regular ity, then do the wholesalers and jobbers arise to wish back the good , old days before the railroads passea into the hands of the government. Portland wholesalers, taking it by and large, are far from content with the status of the railroads under their present management, and draw in vidious comparisons between the present and the past. A summary of the charges they make, basing them upon experiences said to be common throughout the period of government control, comprises the following statements: Car Service Slnckena. That car service has slackened to not more than 40 per cent of the nor mal supply. That periods of shipment have in ordinately lengthened. That "tracers" fail to find cars of goods, which are frequently lost from the ken of the wholesaler for weeks at a time. That cars arriving at Brooklyn yards, on the east side, are almost uniformly held until the following clay, before they are delivered to the terminal company. That strings of empty cars fre quently stand on the private spurs and sidings of wholesale concerns, with no attempt made to get them immediately back into service. That any actual shortage of cars has been fostered by the government policy of refusing to build additional cars each year, on a normal pro gramme, and by generally failing to keep up the equipment at standard. "Double Loading" Opposed. . That "double loading," an econom ical measure placed in effect by the administration, often causes pro longed delay and considerable loss. That the policy of the railroad ad ministration appears to be that of "passing the buck" to the shipper with regard to service improvement, rather than formulating a general remedy. And that a general slackening in personal attention to duty and the convenience of the shipper is mani fest among trainmen. Five of the largest wholesale deal ers in Portland, whose consignments cross the continent, were interviewed concerning their opinions of the quality of freight service at present, as compared with that before the fed eral control of railroads was estab lished. In each instance the traffic managers voiced specific complaints, requesting, however, that their state ments be not referred to in quotation. On minor points all did not' agree. Some were more dissatisfied than others but the general consensus of opinion was that freight servtce at present is a signal failure. Railroad Blame Shortage. "It is almost impossible nowadays to get a 'set-in' to load with stuff," said one traffic manager. "The rail roads say it is because they haven't the equipment. We used to get three switches a day, that Is, new cars were delivered and filled ones taken away with that frequency. Now we get one. Cars that are unloaded on our track are left here until the following day instead of being switched out to aid in stemming the shortage elsewhere. "The supply of cars at present, as we find it, is not more than 40 per cent of normal. Service has deteri orated in like degree. We used to get service out of San Francisco in from four to five days. Now the goods take from 10 to IS days in reaching Portland. "Double-loading was advanced by the administration as a measure of economy. Shippers were willing to co-operate. Double-loading means that a car 'Consigned to us, for exam ple, and not completely filled, shall receive the remainder of its capacity load In consignment to another firm, perhaps in Portland,, perhaps else where. We have had such shipments held at Klamath Falls, when en route from San Francisco, for long periods, though the Klamath Falls house has removed its share of the consignment. Delayed Shipment Cited. "Shipments from the south used to arrive in Brooklyn yards at 3 o'clock in the morning, and were at our warehouse before 8 o'clock. The ear liest we ever receive them now is the second morning after arrival. The ter minal company advised Brooklyn that it cannot receive the cars and that they must be held. They say they are short of equipment. "Transcontinental shipments used to take from 15 to 18 days. We can not figure now on less than 30 to 40 days. A car of canned goods shipped by us to New York was 39 days on the road, and took 14 days to cover the last ISO miles. Nor was this car double -loaded. "A car of sugar from Santa Bar bara. Cal., was three days in making the first 60 miles, and arrived in San Francisco two days afterward, where it should have arrived in a single day. Slow Switching: Dlacussed. "The administration continually harps upon the co-operation ot the shipper. But when we get the cars unloaded they don't get them out promptly. On our siding in a single typical day, at noori, I counted 20 extra cars ready for service if they had been elsewhere. They were not switched out until the following day. To operate a switch engine costs $15 an hour. Two hours would have suf ficed to move these cars. Yet 20 cars. in the alleged interests of economy, were idle for two days to eave an ex penditure of $30. "If the same service -were given now, the service that was In vogue before the war, with cars placed promptly and with arrivals at the warehouse seven days out of San Francisco, I am confident that fully 4 0 per cent more cars would be avail able. Carelessness la Charged. "There is also a noticeable slacken ing in personal application to duty among trainmen. They know that under the railroad administration they cannot lose their Jobs, and in conse quence have grown' careless and to some extent inefficient. I believe that this has a great deal to do with the delays. A story of "tracers" that failed to trace was told by another traffic manager of a wholesale company, who said that this particular phase of the trouble was their most frequent in convenience. "We are constantly having- trouble Give a Pair of Shoes or Slippers from the Quality Store The prestige of quality goes with Rosenthal footwear. You could make no better or more sensible gift. . If you are not certain of the size buy one of our. Merchandise Orders. Boyden's and Banister's Shoes for Men Laird-Schober Shoes for Women New Silver Slippers Complete Lines of Laird-Schober New Oxfords and Pumps Men's and Women's Over-Gaiters Tweedie Boot-Tops in Latest Shades A Gift for Mother a Pair of Dr. A. Reed's Cushion Shoes We Give S. & H. Trading Stamps m-iii tMWLiir tm 'i'j.f -1 ;i I' l ---t--- - HlJil1aaBMMBa----- 129 Tenth Street, Between Washington and Alder tracing shipments," he said. "Seem ingly there is no one who can keep track of the consignments, and " we cannot tell when they will arrive. In a number of cases we have had sugar shipments from San Francisco, that should have reached here in seven days, delayed for two weeks and longer without a word of theiv loca tion. We would be told, occasionally. that the cars had passed Ashland. From that point they should reach Portland in 36 hours. Several times they have taken four or five days to make' the trip, nor could we locate them on the way. "I don't know what the trouble was. The railroad officials who were attempting to trace them worked hard, but couldn't get co-operation or results. It was funny at times, for often we have been called by tele phone and told that the car was lo cated, when we already were unload ing it." A number of wholesalers and other large concerns whose freight traffic is heavy appeared to give private sanction to the complaints gleaned from their commercial colleagues, but shied when asked to discuss the matter from the angle of their own affairs, and asked that the question ing be discontinued as of no avail. Still and AVliUky Seized. ABERDEEN, Wash., Dec. 20. (Spe cial.) Five gallons of moonshine whisky, 100 gallons of raisin mash and about half a ton of raisins were seized yesterday from a shack about 14 miles Up the Wishkah river from Aberdeen, by Deputy Sheriff McBride. Two men, John Grublch and John Selig. were arrested. The still was in operation at the time of seizure, it is stated, and about two quarts of the finished product were taken running from the still. Compensation Laws Topic. William A. Marshall, chairman of the state industrial accident com mission, will be the speaker this evening at Everyman's club, 243 Couch street. He will explain provisions of the workmen's compensation laws. Violin and piano numbers are prom ised, and motion pictures will be shown as a part of the programme tonight. " ISA J virvi xt Aire J requisite teatxtyor iKe rumd-'parnlecl minia true coimfc-" e.rpart in tlx e superb Steger Miniature GtatuI. T S . It is & perfect grand or delight- fully .small Aesigtx for . modern artistic apartment? ' Pi I ictur to do it tures And words tail to do injustice. "ou must see it 'hear tone. Trtert you will find . i . i. ri s it indispensable lor vour music room. vweruenf term Factory Distributors SOMNPMN0C0. Ill Fourth St atVashinAtoa - .vor Ebony Brushes Real ebony back brushes should be classed with gifts combining elegance and service. They are not plentiful in the open market but we can offer you Hair Brushes 1.25 to 8.50 Military Brushes $3.00 to 10.00 pr. Hat Brushes 1.00 to 1.50 Clothes Brushes 1.50 to 4.50 Half-pint Thermos Bottles (nickel) Pint Thermos Bottles ... Quart Thermos Bottles ... Thermos Lunch Kits ... Thermos Carrying Ose . . . Sterno Stoves another practical gift suggestion. Good for emergency use in the home and ideal for those who travel. The prominent prices are 65c, 1.25 and 1.50. The latter is illustrated. The stew pan handle is detachable and the stand folds flat, making a small package for packing. IVORY PY-RA-LIN is the preferred gift of thousands and thousands of women. Some have partially complete sets, some have not yet started to acquire a set. A little careful questioning and investigation will develop the necessary information. At least fairly complete assortments are ready for delayed buyers in all Owl Drug Stores. Come as early as possible. "Say It With Perfumes It is said that flowers express the sentiment of friendship and they unquestionably do. Why not send the condensed odors of the flowers? They last longer and certainly mean more in actual service. In The Owl Drug Stores you will find splendid assortments which include such well known quality names as: Colgate's Hudnut's Mirim&i Lily Djer-Kiss Houbigant's Pinaud't Piver't Violet's Mary Qetrden Palmer's Roger's Flower Drops Chinwah Vemice heme Red Feather Jieky Vivandou Toilet Sets Combinations of Perfume, Toilet Water, Face Pow der, Rouge, Tal cum, Sachet and Soap in handsome boxes. They are pre pared by some of the most famous perfumers and toi let article manufac turers in the world. Kodaks Why not give a Kodak the gift of extraordinary edu cation and pleasure value? Eastman products are fea tured. Albums Selection will be easy. Prices range from 25c up to 5 most of them with loose-leaf binding. B Thermos Bottles is and Lunch Kits, too can be enjoyed by the whole family Is J fr an indefinite period of time. . . . . 3.25 . 2.50 to 3.75 . 4.00 to 5.75 . 4.00 and 6.00 ' . 2.00 to 3.25 Fine STATIONERY in handsome boxes is an ideal gift for a lady they all use more or less of it. Every Owl Drug Store is well supplied with special gift boxes. The prices start at 69c and range up to 7.50. Some are combinations of note paper and correspondence cards. Correspondence Cards Handsome boxes containing 24 cards and 24 envelopes sell at popular prices from 35c to 1.00. The higher grades have gold edges. Waterman Fountain Pens If you intend to give a pen, why not give the best? The Water man has stood the test of years. Buy a Waterman in an Owl Drug Store and get full advantage of the exchange service. Eversharp Pencils The most popular pencil that has ever been offered for sale. Well named "Eversharp" for it is always in that condition. The prices range from 1.00 up to 5.00. SAFETY RAZORS are unquestionably the most popular of all gift articles that are sug gested for men. A good "safety" will be appreciated every morning of many years to come. The 1.00 Razors We have them all: The Gm, The Durham Duplex, the Eveready, the Keen Kutter and the Enders. Gillette Razors 5.00 to 10.00 Special Gift Sets. AutoStrop Razors 5.0O to 10.00 Handsomely boxed. Stroppers for Safety Blades 2.00 to 5.00 The Twinplex Stropper for Gillette blades is illustrated above. Inexpensive Watches Most any man would appreciate an inexpensive watch to take the place of his high-priced one on outing trips. Prices range from 2.25 to 5.00. The latter is the special util ity wrist watch. Flashlights Auto owners, campers, hunters in fact all men like to have a Daylo Flashlight to' use in emergencies. You will find all Owl Drug Stores well supplied. Besides the nov elties like the Penlite (at 1.00) we have the regulation lights from 1.55 to 3.25 with battery. Hot Water Bottles They belong at the top of the list of practical gifts. We carry nothing but the best grades. Rubber (Seamless) 1.00 to 3.00 Flannelette Covers for rubber bottles Metal 2.00 to 3.00 QotK Covers included Lea t T 1 ' U! LEATHER GOODS of quality always appeal to men, and such you will find in good variety in The. Owl Drug Stores. Coin Purses, Bill Folds, Card Cases, Combination Cases, Photo and Card Cases, Hip Books, Money Belts, etc. The prices range from 50c up. Roll- 1 tips Rca.usjAT.oK mm BROADWAY AND WASHINGTON Mail Orders Given Prompt Attention Tourist Cases in cretonne or silk 1.00 to 3.50. "Fitall" cases from 1 .00 to 5 .oo.That's the assortment story in a price nutshell. If anyone on your list is a traveler, consider roll-ups seriously. THE OREGONIAN ANNUAL OUT JANUARY FIRST More than 100 pages. Single copies 10 cents; postage 7 cents in the United States foreign, 14 cents.
