The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-30
RAILWAYS IN WAR.

United States in the important part
which they must play in the war in
which we are now involved is some
what similar to the position of the
railways of Great Britain in the i'm
portant part which they have played
during the last 80 months.
Some of the notable moves which
have been made by the railway execu-
tive committee in cooperation with
the government have been an increase
of so per cent in passenger fares; the
pooling of freight car equipment; and
the institution of severe restrictions
and economies in all branches of the
service in order to meet increases in
employees wages and enormous in
creases in the cost of materials. One
Of the most significant features of
Great Britain's policy is that these in
Creases in expenses ere automatically
assumed by the government. The large
increase in passenger fares has been
made not to increase revenue, but to
reduce the amount of passenger travel
/ in order to facilitate the movement of
freight.
| These facts are brought out in an
article in the current issue of the Rail-
way Age Gazette, by Julius H. Par
melee. 1t is a generally recognized
fact that the effectiveness of the part
which the United States will play in
the war will depend largely upon the
efficiency with which it's railways are
operated. OF all the countries now in
volved there is the closest resem-
blance between the United States and
Great Britain. There, as here, the
railways are privately owned. There,
as here, arrangements have been made
between the government and the rail-
ways by which, in the main, operation
is left in the hands of the railway Off
GERS. There, as here, a committee of
executive officers has been organized
with almost autocratic authority. In
Great Britain, however, the govern
ment has guaranteed to the railways
the same net return as they made in
the period Immediately preceding the
war, while here the government
makes no guarantees regarding rail-
way earnings.
In view of this similarity of CON-
ditions and partial similarity in the
plans adopted for handling the situa-
ton some details of the British plan
outlined in Mr.. Parmelee's article are
of interest in this country. The Rail-
way Executive Committee. acting I'M
der the auth 1rity of the British gov
eminent, has found it necessary to
take some of it's most vigorous meas
ures as recently as since January l.,
1917.
1t has taken off many passenger
trains, closed many stations and aban-
doned the operation of some branch
lines to expedite the movement of
freight and military traffic, to save
coal and to relieve employees for
more important service. The amount
of permissible baggage has been cur
tailed. restaurant and sleeping cars
have been reduced in number or taken
out of service and several hundred
daily passenger trains were with
drawn from service on Janpary 1. The
average speed of passenger trains has
been reduced by the elimination of a
number of fast express trains. 1t is
stated that further advances in pas
senger rates will be made unless that
already made reduces travel suffi-
GENTLY. So FIR there has been a re-
duction of about 20 per cent in travel
since January 1.