New-York tribune., 1906-07-08

ing AS a result OF these things visiting rail-
way officers in either country. newly come from
the other, are perplexed and dismayed rather
than enlightened by what they see. The British
manager on a visit 70 America sees faulty per-
manent way construction. locomotives built TO
be ''scrapped' after seven or eight years SER
vice, unpunctual passenger trains and great
proportion Of the country's mileage abounding
IN grade crossings and worked without block
signals. On the other hand the American man
ager in England freight traffic that has
degenerated into a parcels business, and net
work of lines, extravagantly built and extrava-
gantly worked. handicapped by an official for
malism that reaches all branches of the service
alike. while the capital account hangs over the
lines like a black cloud. certain some day to
descend in a storm that will wipe out many
time-honored values.
Yet in spite of these very patent defects
which so seriously affect the economies OF work
ing. the fact must not for moment be lost
sight Of that the public service rendered by
the British lines. the convenience to the travel
Ter and the shipper are far in excess of any
thing to be found in this country. The British
Isles are absurdly small when compared with
vast areas. and this of simplifies the
operating problems: there are no snowdrifts to
delay schedules. sections Of crudely built
track awaiting perfection. and the locomotives
are never far from their home shops. Yet, even
with allowance for these advantages. both
freight and passenger traffic habitually
handled with a regularity and certainty that
deserve the highest degree Of praise. In any
large terminal in England the number of pas
senger trains that arrive either exactly on time
or a minute or two ahead is far greater than
that OF trains even the least overdue; five min
utes is usually safe margin for an important
connection At Finsbury Park, suburban sta
ton just outside Of London, trains pass an
average of one every two minutes night and
day. yet this tremendous traffic is handled with
clocklike precision This punctuality, more
over. is not confined to the passenger service.
and, in comparison with this country, 1t is in
freight working that it is the most marked.
AS far back as 1885. when Hadley wrote his
Railroad Transportation he showed that
freight could be received in London late in the
afternoon and be delivered at the consignee's
door, anywhere south OF Scotland, the next
morning. The main features Of this service
have not been changed much in the last twenty
years: but IL has been polished by competition
to a wonderful degree OF perfection as regards
facilities, although the cost of Il, both to the
railways and TO the shippers, remains an un-
failing source OF establishment TO the American
manager
One of our great Eastern roads sends out four
London & Northwestern sends out twenty-eight
daily! Moreover. the English company cannot
dispatch these trains at its convenience through
out the twenty-four hours for the freight does
not come in until late in the afternoon, and it
must inevitably be delivered before working
hours the next morning. So the trains must be
worked on what is practically a passenger
schedule, and to accomplish this they must be
light. The standard train for this kind of traffic
is made up OF twenty-four twenty-five little
ten-ton wagons, and in the face OF the condi-
tions which have to be met, three tons OF paying
freight a wagon is considered good loading
That is to say, there must be a locomotive and
a train crew for about every seventy tons Of
fast freight Incidentally st may be noted that
single locomotive and train crew handle two
thousand tons Of paying freight. when grain is
moving, the New York Central: while this
record is considerably exceeded by ccal haul
age over portions Of the Pennsylvania system
Through stress of competition practically all
kinds OF freight are hauled in this extravagant
manner in British practice excepting only COAL
pig iron, brick, and articles that belong in p
similar classification. AS result che business
methods of the provincial shopkeepers have been
arranged to fit the conditions. A Leeds tailor
carries only small stock of CLOTH his customers
ordering by sample If the order is received by
o'clock in the afternoon, the tailor can teIe-