The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1917-05-25
BRITISH EXPERT
LAUDS RAILROADS
OF UNITED STATES
Tells Congress Committee That
They Lead World.
NO GOVERNMENT 7 OWNERSHIP

IL Would Mean Political Control and
Loss of Efficiency-Deciares That
Crisis confronts Country on Account
Of Transportation Situation-Lowest
Freight Rates to Be Found In United
States.
Washington. May 14.-That the Unit.
ed States is face to face with serious
crisis In its commercial affairs. due to
the conditions by which its transporta-
ton system Is confronted. was the opin-
ion expressed by W. NJ. Acworth. Eng
lands leading authority on railways.
before the Newlands joint committee
session held here to enable the com.
mittee to hear his views before his de-
parture for London this week. Two
steps are necessary, according to Mr.
Acworth. to avert this crisis and to
solve the threatening railroad problem
confronting the country.
The first is to allow the railroads to
charge freight rates sufficient to meet
the great advance In operating ex.
penses which is taking place and TO
enable them to command the credit
necessary to provide the extensions
and improvements needed to meet the
growing demands Of business. The Sec
ond is to do away with the multiple
and conflicting systems OF regulation
that now hamper railway operation
and to provide one centralized regula-
tory agency with such local subdivi-
sions as may be necessary.
Higher Rates a Public Necessity.
Mr.. Acworths views on the transpor.
ration situation in the United States
were expressed In answer to questions
by members Of the committee. who
asked him to apply his knowledge
of railway conditions throughout the
world and Of the experience Of other
countries with government ownership
to the present problem before the Unit
ed States.
THE fundamental factor in the sit
uation is very simple" said Mr. Ac-
worth. 1T lies in the fact that you
cannot get three-quarters of cents
worth of work done for less than three
quarters of a cent. no matter whether
the agency performing it Is a govern.
ment or private enterprise. Freight
rates must advance when the cost Of
performing the service advances as
II is doing at present, just as the price
OF bread or meat or any other COM
modify increases with increased cost
Of production"
In answer to a question Mr.. Ac-
worth said that he thought American
freight rates had becu at much too low
level for several years past, that they
had reached this low point during the
period of cutthroat competition among
the roads aud had since been held
there by regulating bodies. Unless re-
lief were afforded to the carriers very
promptly. he said, the result would
be tremendous loss to the people of
the whole country through insufficient
cy of transportation facilities
Weakness of Government Ownership.
On the subject of government owner.
ship Of railways Mr.. Acworth said:
1T is impossible to obtain satisfac-
tory results on government railways
in democratic state unless the man.
agement is cut loose from direct polit-
ical control. Neither Australia nor
any other country with a democrat
il or All in ha
ought to be made of Switzerland-ha
succeeded in maintaining permanent
severance In France, in Belgium. in
Italy. parliamentary interference never
has been abandoned for imoment
The facts show that government in
reference has meant running the rail-
ways not for the benefit OF the people
at large, but to satisfy local and Sec
tional and even personal interests.
Prussia. Mr. Acworth said. was the
best example Of an efficient govern
ment railway system. and he pointed
out that military considerations were
treated as OF para mount Importance
the Prussian railway system WI Z.
American freight rates had been ,,.
duced nearly 40 per cent In thil,
years. rates in Prussia were nearly as
high as at the beginning of the period.
While the charge for moving a ton of
freight one mile I'm the United States
was tribe over thrce-quarters of a
cent. the rate in Prussia was l4i
cents.
AS Illustrating The, I 80 puce ip ratios
between governmrtti .. i.i,afp roads
Mr.. Acworth conile, as iIr ,uilw,vs
Of New South No. AnSf;n.t, win
those of Texas \ h.r th. n3r,n,u az
traffic to each mle - ace" u,~ ,s,n,,,
the same In both ease a., ~, ,,leI nm
the Texas ruii wut> LI;urin,d for the
publlc four times rs much service ma
the government "wurd roads of New
south Wales The charge in Texas
Tor hauling ton or freight one mile
{ was less than | cent. while in the Aus
trallan state il WAS well over 2 cents
/ American railways lead the world.
said Mr.. Acworth. Nowadays when
men In any other part of the world
want to know how to run a railway
they come to the United States ana
Z Stnly ynur RI waVs hn.n U,h-