suggestion that the League take appropriate action to cooperate with the Council of National Defense, the Committee of the railroads represented by Mr. Howard Elliott and all other properly constituted bodies to bring about transportation efficiency in the United States." As a result of this there was authorized and appointed (1) "A central committee comprised of seven members of the League to have general supervision and control of this movement," and (2) "Regional committees at the twenty-three (now thirty) points at which the railroads have appointed special committees and at such other points as may be necessary." The duties of the regional committees were set forth in the following terms:

(a) To cooperate with the local American Railway Association committee in adjusting strictly local transportation affairs; (b) to report to the Central Committee any local adjustment brought about by provision (a); (c) to report their recommendations on all other matters to the Central Committee for consideration and action.

The regional committees and local committees of the carriers are now actively cooperating as intended.

INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION.

Bureau of car service.-The Bureau of Car Service of the Interstate Commerce Commission was created under the authority conferred by the Car Service Act, approved May 29, 1917. Through this Bureau the Commission regulates car service throughout the United States, and where occasion requires orders or directions of the Interstate Commerce Commission will issue under the Car Service Act direct to the carrier or carriers concerned. Subject to this fundamental principle the commission announced that "the Bureau of Car Service will as far as practicable avail itself of cooperative effort on the part of the carriers' Commission of the Car Service." The policy outlined has been and is now being successfully carried out.

CO-ORDINATION.

It will be recognized that with so many commissions, councils, committees, boards, and administrators, there is excellent opportunity for misunderstandings and perhaps for work at cross purposes. As a practical means for avoiding this confusion so far as transportation is concerned, the Bureau of Car Service, representatives of the Fuel Administration, the Food Administration, Transportation Priority Director, and the Commission on Car Service have worked closely together ever since the President's ap

pointments under the laws referred to. As a result of the sincere. desire on the part of all to be generally helpful in this time of trial and to reach conclusions as a result of what might be termed the "composite view point" rather than one more narrow, very excellent results have been and are being secured in arranging for the transportation requirements of both food and fuel. The Transportation Priority Administrator and the Interstate Commerce Commission both follow the plan of working through or utilizing the Commission on Car Service and its organization rather than the policy of issuing direct a large number of detail orders which would be otherwise necessary.

By Judge Lovett the first priority order was issued on August 20. This directed the railroad companies serving the Lake Erie ports in the transportation of bituminous coal to give preference and priority in the distribution of cars to coal mines, so that bituminous coal for transshipment to the upper lake ports should have priority in transportation. Further it was directed that the boats of the Great Lakes engaged in the shipment of bituminous coal, until further notice, should accept and receive for shipment all cargoes of coal tendered to them, and so load, transfer, and deliver the coal, that it should have preference and priority in transportation.

As explained in the chapter upon coal, acting under this priority order a sufficient amount of coal had accumulated at the Upper Lakes ports by November 2 so that it was revoked for the railroad lines east of Pittsburgh. When it appeared that before the close of navigation with less service a sufficient amount of coal would be accumulated at the Upper Lakes ports, further partial cancellations of the order were made, and the formal cancellation of the entire priority order was finally made to be effective November 30.

The second priority order was designed to give priority to the shipment of coal, coke, ore, limestone, sugar beets, sugar cane, sorghum cane and raw materials for use in the metal, sugar and fertilizer industries and other commodities necessary to the national defense. On and after November 1, 1917, all railroads were directed to deny open top freight cars other than flat cars for use in shipping the following articles: (1) materials and supplies, other than coal, for the construction, maintenance, or repair of public or private highways, roadways, streets or sidewalks; (2) materials and supplies, other than coal, for the construction, maintenance, or repair of theaters or other buildings or structures to be used for amusement purposes; (3) materials and supplies, other than coal, for the manufacture of pleasure

vehicles, furniture or musical instruments; (4) passenger vehicles, furniture and musical instruments.

Because of the severe and prolonged drought in the states of Texas and New Mexico, mentioned in the chapter on the work of the Food Administration, priority orders for certain railroads were given November 23 and November 29, under which all shipments of cotton-seed cake, cotton-seed meal, and certain other feeds, for points in New Mexico should have preference over all other traffic, except (1) live stock and perishables, (2) human foodstuffs, (3) railroad supplies and material, (4) coal, and (5) shipments for the United States Government.

These special priority orders were preparatory to a general policy. A general policy of priority for the entire country was announced to become effective December 12. Since this order is one of such great importance, it is included in its entirety.

All common carriers by railroad in the United States shall give preference and priority in car supply and in movement to the following commodities, and in the order numbered:

1. Steam railroad fuel for current use;

2. Live stock, perishable freight, food, and feed;

3. (a) Shipments of military supplies when consigned direct to the United States Government or the authorized officers of the United States Army, Navy, or Shipping Board, or to the Allies or the proper representative thereof, destined to any cantonment, post or encampment, to any point of export for movement thence to Europe, to any arsenal or navy yard, or material to any ship-building plant under contract to the United States Shipping Board for the sole purpose of constructing vessels for that board;

(b) Other shipments for the United States Government, as the same may be authorized from time to time by the undersigned as necessary in particular cases, but only upon request of the United States Army, United States Navy, or United States Shipping Board, through a designated officer or representative of the respective departments located in Washington:

4. Coal to and for by-product coking plants, and not subject to reconsignment; and

5. Preference and priority in movement only to coal for current use but not for storage, consigned direct (and not subject to reconsignment) to hospitals, schools, and other public institutions, retailers of coal for use in supplying domestic consumers only; and to coal, coke, and raw materials for current use but not for storage, consigned direct (and not subject to reconsignment) to blast furnaces, foundries, iron and steel mills, smelters, manufacturers engaged in work for the United States Goverment or its allies, public utilities (including street and interurban railways, electric power and lighting plants, water and sewer works), flour mills, sugar factories, fertilizer factories, and shipbuilders; also shipments of paper, petroleum, and petroleum products.

This order shall not affect priority order No. 2, dated October 27, 1917, relating to open-top cars; priority order No. 3, dated November 2, 1917, relating to movement of coal from mines in Utah and Wyoming; and priority order No. 4, dated November 22, 1917, and supplement A thereto, dated November 29, 1917, relating to shipments of cattle feed to points in Texas and New Mexico, issued by the undersigned.

GENERAL DISCUSSION.

While only a few priority orders have been issued it is seen that this last order is very comprehensive in its scope. Through conferences of representatives of the Food Administration, the Fuel Administration, the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Shipping Board, and the Railroad War Board, cooperation of all interests has been secured; and the railroads have been exerting themselves to the utmost to meet the needs of the Goverment in giving preference to goods directly for the army and navy or for war purposes.

It is aside from the scope of these lectures to undertake to present the great problem of transportation which has confronted the railroads, and the various patriotic steps which they have taken to do their utmost effectively to handle the vastly increased tonnage which war conditions demand that they shall handle.

In conclusion, attention should be called to the fact that the railroads are free from the penalties of the Sherman Act and other anti-trust laws in their cooperation to give preference to goods as indicated by the Government. This is a most significant feature of the law, since it is a recognition that when the highest efficiency is demanded from the railroads by the transportation of the largest possible tonnage of freight, they must cooperate and not compete.

CHAPTER XIII.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.

CONSERVATION.

The facts presented in the previous sections make it clear that the existing conservation movement is a third episode in the development of general conservation in this country, the first phase being that which resulted in the policy of forest conservation, and the second that which grew out of the White House conference called by Roosevelt.

Under the mighty stress of war, the development of the conservation and regulatory movements has been at a speed never before approached. Before the war the realization of the necessity for a conservation movement had reached but a small proportion of the people, although in this proportion were a large number of the leaders and thinkers. However, the wide campaign and the resultant action for food conservation carried on by the Food Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, colleges of agriculture, state and local councils of defense, and other organizations have carried conviction to a very large proportion of the people of the United States. Moreover, conviction has been so strong that action has resulted, and already there are vast reductions in the consumption of the essential foods.

SUMMARY OF REGULATORY MEASURES.

It has been shown in Part 1 of these lectures that before the outbreak of the war the principles of regulation had developed sufficiently so that it was a recognized policy of the nation that all public utilities are under public control. This control includes both rates and character of service; further, we have seen that pure food laws have been passed which control quality in the matter of food and drugs. Foods must be pure and labels must tell the truth.

These very moderate advances in regulation were accomplished as the result of a struggle extending over at least a quarter of a century; in contrast with this slow movement has been the amazing change since the war began. A remarkable group of regulatory laws have been enacted which go far beyond anything which had been considered possible in the direction of regulations. In summary these measures are as follows:

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