Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-09-02
RAILROADS ARE ALARMED AT
BIG BUSINESS OF AUTOMOBILES.
Private Owned Machines Are Work
ing Wonders to Which Business
Conditions Must be Adjusted.

Last week the Democrat carried a :
story as to the effect of the automobiles |
upon the tourist business and illustra-
ted such with two cuts, one showing /,
mule-power street cars, the other
gas propelled machines, on Main /
street. !
Railroad lines almost everywhere, IL
seems, are becoming alarmed over the !
inroads being made on their business
by automobiles says the Greensboro
Daily News. 1t is we'll known fact
that street railways are by no means
| in love with the "jitney bus :" but
there are probably few people who re-
lalize the effect that automobiles gen.
orally are having upon the business or
big carriers. 1t is the privately own
| ed machine, in this case, that is doing
/ the greatest damage. Probably the
most noticeable effect is that upon
! tourist traffic There is still another
! factor, however, that is coming to be
felt more and more; and that is that
/ travelling statesmen are turning to au-
tomobiles as a means of transportation
(; in such numbers that many railways
! have instituted Investigations to as
certain the extent of this loss to the
| passenger department.
Continuing, the Daily News, says:
Such an investigation was carried on
by passenger officials in Greensboro
recently, upon the request OF the de-
partment headquarters, and it was
found that so travelling salesman who
maintain headquarters in this city are
now covering their territory in ma
chimes. This is a very big per cent OF
the men of the grip who travel out or
the Gate City; and of course the effect
must be felt by the railways that for
merly enjoyed their business. Exacf
| figurs are not yet obtainable from
other cities where like Investigations
! have ben carried on, but it is stated
: unofficially that these figures will
prove something worse than alarming
( to passenger department men. Tne
travelling man is the one source o.
: continuous revenue, at least ne has
; been. and his loss in such numpersa ap;
parently overshadow, sin the minds aol
: railway men, the loss of any otne1
class of travellers.
One railway man asked by Daily
News representative about the exten'
of the loss Of tourist tratf1c to automo
f biles. Look at the personal columns
of anv daily newspaper, he replleo
= "and Won can get some idea or IT.
5 seems to us sometimes that hall tn'
t neople who are going away for a va
5 cation, no matter to what point go D!
automobile"
8 This man went deeper into the SUD
q iact however, and said that Duslnes'
v to the resorts on his road, especlall'
e fhe summer resorts, is suner1ng Sc
vnrelv from the advent of the autono
hi1e He estimates that the loss
these points during the present SUM
r NOR season will total 10 per cent
q One especial feature of the railway
business, he pointed out, tnat Is EeI
, vitaIIv affected is the short excurslol
8 rims that are arranged out the cen
e trail resort towns. Some OF these Trip
are arranged for regular weekly oates
and he declared that the patronase
wbich in wears agone has been enor
b mons. has become SO small lnat
n exnects the special rates TO De IaAe
off within a few seasons.
When the passenger men are ashe
! about what is to be done tney n snaN
:, thoir heads. The conditions referre
- - exist and are increasing IN sue
ronid nroportions that the railroad
= are becoming alarmed; put nov ~
r. situation is to be met IS per
- - Question. To the present tl1ne'
- would appear, there has not peen a
- idea incubated as to how II can
r met.