New-York tribune., 1911-11-05
BUREAU OF RAILROADS
A Plan for the Government 10
Teach Them Economy.

,This may be a form of socialism, pul
Io,., have this wen have the other
and the real kind
rn,s smoke Louis II. Braudeis lawyer
o,d ,ublicist. Of his plan for a government
49,, ,,,ro.u and experimental railroad
cation If seemed appropriate Tor the
oorpest dark-eved. somewhat ungainly man
from Boston-who shocked the raiIroau
,,orld nv announcing that a million dollars
q dav was being wasted by railroad i'lei
fciency-to present the polticdI "'p''
a practical industrial problem For ~ wac
interviewed i'm the atmosphere ana tIe '
vironnent Of revolutionary lesal P''
cedure TO diemember a great trust N''
ducted by the Attorney Gencral VI '
United States and the flower oil the A'i..
lean bar. And in this dissection OF tne 'o
barco cadaver Mr.. Brandeis hau oe'"
welding an energetic knife
.Ive do not want to take from rairodu
corporations the natural fruits oi
Gcencv." said Mr. Brandeis, turning lro'I'
tobacco to railroads with the ease "iI''
IL tho privilege Of genius Puphc il'e' ~
and Justice demand a due appreciation VI
efficiency in management but the queSlIo"
remains how 10 ascertain ana a"dIu
nrorer remuneration. We do not want w
limit achievement and punish ehte'P''S'
nm the contrary. We should encourage an"
reward legitimate success. But thefe ~
now no means of finding out Whether '"e
index Of large earnings refers 10 etncieH'!
or higher tax on the public. whether t"s
railroads arc earning what they get
Capital employed in a quasi-public DUST
,,ose ,o,,ebt 20 racei,.o compensation OH q
slidire scale on this plan the greater inc
service to the public the greater the proht
10 the capitarsts We have this system IN
Boston applied 10 the production and sale
Of gas There dividends rise az the price
Of gas 10 the public fails
"Of course the problem iu railroadlng 's
far more complex and difficult But II the
principle Of the sliding scale were once rec
cenized by federal and state authorities ana
the pubic iis application could he az
iusted in course Of time. The federal gov
ornment ALREADY regulates rates ard ser
vice. II should be prepared also 20 promote
eficierc,- and enable superior management
10 obtain Us due reward
"A great step would be taken II the gov
ernment established a Bureau Of Railroad
Costs and an Experimental Station IN Rail
road Ecohomles The railroads are our
greatest Industry next 10 agriculture. They
arc important not only in the aspect ot in
y-transportetion-bu I'm the super-n-
dustrial function II carrying passenger.
II the government is justified in aiding and
supervising agriculture as largely as II
docs II has more reason 10 supervise and
aid the railroads How 70 grow pigs and
alfalfa is taught b. the government Why
should II not teach how 10 run d locomotive
and lay d track?
"A Bureau of Railroad Costs would md
out tho STANDARD unit cost Of each opera
tion I'm every department Of = railroad
The unit costs ia all railroads would bc
anslvzed. classified ana compared Thus
each road would have the benefit Of know
ing the lowest cost OF each operation at
tanned by any other road and how ~ was
attained. The government would supply
this information just as It now supplies.
through the agricultural and other depart
nents, useful information TO the farmer.
the miner. tho merchant See what Is done