New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-15

matter to the breaking point.
While 10000 railroad trainmen
are voting at Chicago this week on
demands for higher pay, simultane-
ouslv at Washington the Eastern
railroads are laying before the In
terstate Commerce Commission their
case for higher freight rates. That
these two events are unrelated
that they must be considered as
things apart-is a striking illustra-
ton of the folly of handling the
problem as it is handled in this
country to-day. 1t is big problem
except for the business of winning
the war, perhaps the biggest prob
lem of the day-yet the railroads
and the government, as represented
by the regulatory authorities, go on
dealing with the minor phases and
persistently ignore the major factors
in the situation. Freight and wage
rates are important, of course, but
much bigger things than the mere
settlement of disputes over rates
and wages will have TO be done be-
fore the transportation system of
the country gets on the proper basis.
The real trouble, as writer once
remarked, is that the railroads just
/ happened; if they had been made to
order things might have been much
different than they are. But they
were not, and so the country must
do the best it can with the facilities
at its command. And the best thing
+ for all concerned, in the minds of
many railroad men and scientists
Of transportation, is naturalization
under strict government regulation.
By naturalization is not neces-
sarily meant government ownership,
thought it may come to that;
whether it does or not rests largely
with the railroad leaders themselves.
The term is intended to imply uni
fcation of the entire transportation
system Of the country. We have had
a taste of it since the United States
entered the war, for the Railroads
War Board has accomplished much
in that direction, and the results
speak for themselves. But what it
has done is only a step in the direc-
ton of what might be done were all
the railroads working as a unit.
1he saving through elimination Of
uneconomical handling of freight
would be enormous. 1t was com,
monty believe that there was little
competition in railroading before the
War Board took the reins, but that
belief was not well founded. 1t is
true that the competition in rates
had come TO an end, or practically
50, but a form of competition even
more wasteful was waged kecnly.
That was competition in service,
which was largely responsible for
the 81. C. l." problem and for other
extravagant service that spelled high
expenses and small profits. 1t need
hardly be said that such service,
once eliminated, should never be re-
stored, yet that is precisely what
would happen if the old order Of
things should be restored after the
war and the subsequent period of re-
adjustment have passed. il has been
clearly shown that the efficiency Of
the transportation system depends
on indignation. IL may be tina. in
the not distant future the solvency
Of the carriers will also depend on
the same thing. In any event, i. is
time that the whole railroad prob
lcm were dealt with IN broad way:
il has been sufficiently demonstrated
that piecemeal consideration Of rail
read troubles will never produce the
solution which is essential if the
country is 10 be freed from the dis
turbances and uncertainties occa-