Too Much Prosperity

Because the Government is considering a plan to draft seaworthy vessels out of intercoastal trade to meet the growing shortage in ocean shipping, the railroads last week were in a fair way to get back most of the freight they lost to the Panama Canal. But the carriers--already pressed for freight cars by the defense boom--had good cause to be frightened as well as pleased.

The Association of American Railroads claims that all the intercoastal Canal freight (around 7,700,000 tons) would not give the transcontinental lines as much as a 1% increase in carloadings. Yet it might be the camel's last straw. Already car-loadings on these lines are up some 20% over last year and some of them have scarcely enough surplus cars for comfort.

In mid-March, Burlington (weekly car-loadings about 28,000) had 1,680; Great Northern (carloadings 13,000) had only 369. Two sectional roads had no surplus cars at all--Missouri Pacific and Cotton Belt.

In June the winter wheat crops will begin moving over the Western and Southwestern roads. If the crop movement and diversion of shipping coincide, U. S. railroads will meet their first big test of ability to handle enlarged defense needs with present equipment (see p. 81). In the meantime, most of the carriers are rushing belatedly to buy more rolling stock. Since Jan. 1, Atchison has ordered 1,700 freight cars; Burlington, 2,175; Southern Pacific, 2,500.

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