The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1917-06-20
THE RAILROAD SITUATION.

of all. The railroads enable tn
wheat fields of the Far West to al
swer the daily prayer for bread c
the cities of the East.
Fully half the people of the Unite
States are directly interested in tn
prosperity of the railroads. The
furnish a livelihood for one perso
out of every ten. Industries depend
ent upon railroad business emplo
one person out of every twenty
Every phase of our national life il
dependent in some degree upon tn,
railroads. Their value and impor
lance to the entire country, in wa
or peace, make their welfare at al
times a matter of the greatest neces
sity.
Each era in the development of the
American railroads has been marked
by problems that were peculiar te
the period. The first was construc
ton. Next, after a period of railway
expansion such as the world had
never seen before, came the problem
of competition. In more recent years
it has been regulation. This is one
of the problems not yet solved, for
regulation has thus far failed to pro-
tect equally the interests of the in
weston. of the shipper, and of the pub
lie. A new era for railroads, how
ever, seems to be at hand. 1t is a
period of cooperation and co-ordina-
ton in which the interests of all will
be considered.
The establishment of a better I'M
and spirit of helpful CO.
operation among all the interests in.
volved is long step toward the So
luton of any big problem. In this
belief the Guaranty Trust Co., of New
York, has just issued booklet, THE
Railroad Situation" which presents
the facts, states with unusual clear
ness the problems which now con-
front the railroads, and suggests how
they may be solved. ~ .''"
American railroads today serve
different masters. These
are the ninety-five un-coordinated leg
islative and regulating bodies, rep
resenting the federal government and
the forty-eight states. They are at
tempting to regulate the railroads
down to the minutest details of their
operation. The general effect is to
increase the railroads burdens and
expenses, without providing means to
meet them. This, briefly, is the prob
lem of regulation.
Nearly everything except railroad
transportation has doubled in price.
The railroad is still carrying freight
and passengers at the old rates, but
1t is paying twice as much for every
thing it buys. That is the essence
of another phase of the railroad prob
lem. Still other questions concern
wages, car shortage and the valuation
of railroad property.
All these problems are handicaps
to the transportation system. The
Guaranty Trust Co.'S booklet points
out that these questions demand the
attention and understanding of the
public so that the railroads of this
country may be brought to the point
of highest usefulness and service to
the nation.
Despite the most oSacting and EN-
barrassing conditions, the railroads
of this country have accomplished
surprising results. American railroad
freight charges are the lowest in thu
world; the wages paid are the high
est, and the operating efficiency il
the greatest.
Constructive suggestions whicl
may be offered to relieve the RAILROAD
situation Immediately, and which,
adopted, promise better day for tn
railroads than they have seen With
decade, are thus briefly summed u
| in this booklet: Increased rates. Tn
federal regulation of rates and secu
| ity issues. A larger interstate con
| ,op,,,, ;ee ;n,, with pouinnal an