Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-08-02
TRACKAGE WASTE.
SAVING RAILWAY

One hundred thousand OF our 100000
miles Of railway, valued at Sc, zoo, 900, 900
represent u~nwarranted competition
while we desperately need $4,000 miles
of double tracking. The Sherman anti
trust law and other legal stupidities are
extenuating circumstances for the rail-
way corporations. But the fetch OF
competition is one of the superstitions
of the old school of railway managers.
1t must be exercised before we can have
a system of transportation in this
country. We cannot be prepared Funul
we clean the Superannuates out or the
army and navy departments. but there
are just as many senile men in charge
of railway corporations as OF govern
ment departments. The railways justly
complain of As meddlesome legislatures,
but the patriotic American knows thar
these legislatures and the state railway
commissions are no more at faul than
the 500 railway corporations that affllct
h body polite.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget
Sound railway was built as u COM
petitor of the Northern Pacific r0lway.
1t gives a splendid transcontinental SER
vice with luxurious trains. Part of the
distance in the Rocky mountains the
motive power is electricity. When this
P1SNS VI illlpSIl1llGICc WAS DullI, Phl al
leling the Northern Pacific railway.
great areas of fertile land in Montana.
Idaho, Washington and Oregon were
without railway facilities, and the
Northern Pacific railway needed an
other rack. At one point in Western
Montana there is a narrow canyon
through which these two railways and q
third local road run, clinging to the
rocks above a mountain stream. How
objectionable it was to put this expen.
sive transcontinental line through that
canyon, instead of double tracking the
Northern Pacific, is shown by the fact
that the sumptuous n nearly empty
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound
train headed for the Pacific coast goes
through this canyon in an easterly di-
rection meeting the w%estbound train OF
the Northern Pacific railway!
There are five lines between Chicago
and st. Paul. Three of them compete
actively for through traffic. At least
three trains each way on each road
other city at the same hour, charging
the same fare. The two inferior roads
meet this competition as nearly as pos
sible. At least 16 trains a day each way
run between Chicago n ST. Paul; not
half of these add to the convenience
Of the traveller. If a third of these trains
were cancelled Ii would save 81, soc, 900
a year.
Misleading comparisons of the cost Of
transportation here and abroad are
made by guileless railway men. The
charges per mile may determine profits;
they tell us nothing about economical
transportation. For example, the New
York Central and Michigan Central
railways both pass through Monroe,
Mich. en- route from Detroit to Toledo,
Both roads stop their trains in Monroe
at the Michigan Central station going
one way and at h New York Central
station going the other. Each uses its
own station in Detroit; they use a union
station in Toledo. What species OF
double entry bookkeeping would indi-
cate to railway manager or government
official the exact waste in traffic be-
tween Toledo and Detroit? 1t does not
relieve the situation from the stand
point of national preparedness thai
most people use the trolley between De-
troit and Toledo!
Single track minds cannot insure
double track roads.