Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1917-05-31
BRITISH EXPERT
lAUDS RAILROADS
OF UNITED STATES
Tells Congress Committee Thai
They Lead World,
NO GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP

" transportation Stuation-l ouss,
Freight Rates to Be Found In United
States.
Washington. May li-That the INIT
ed states Is face TO face with a serlou.
crisis In It's commercial affairs. due ID
the conditions by which It's transborta.
uon system Is confronted. was the op,n.
Ion expressed by W. II. Acworth. Eng.
lands leading authority on railways
before the Newlands Joint com .alttee
on Interstate commerce al \ sreclsl
session held here TO enable the com.
mlttee TO hear his views before his de.
parture for London this week two
steps are necessary, according 10 Mr.
hc"orth. 20 avert this crisis and 10
solve the threatening railroad problem
confronting the country
Tie hrst Is 10 allow the railroads 10
charge freight rates sufficient to meet
the gFeat advance IN operating Ell.
cuNes which is taking place and to
enable them 10 command tho credit
ne rNsary TO provide the extension,
and improvements needed 20 meet the
growing demands OF business The sec.
ord Is to do away with The m.,lule
aud conf!,tlng systems OF regulation
that now hamper railway operation
hut io pru'lGr one centralized rcsula.
tor ugcnry with such local sunlIvi
hous ~ ma, he Necessary
higher Rat" a Public Necessity.
VI Ac"'rths Views 90 the transpor.
thh"n situation 10 'hr tinted State,
"c-" expressed In suswrr 10 question,
iE wcmhes ~ the committee. who
n.''d hu 20 sprly hs AnuWicg &c
OF railway conditions throughout The
VOID and ~ the cyrc-"u.r ~ o,n.r
coTu'r,cs with sovcyum'ut 1vrots',lp
60 The present problem ursor. The Uuit.
81 States
The fundamental factor 10 u, sit
unfion Is very simple sad Nr Nr
worth 1T Hes IN the fat that ,ou
cannot gct urc.qulrrss ~ cents
worth " work done tur les than three.
'GHlgters II cent no muttrr v'ci.sf
the agency performing It is "a guyuu.
mont or private enterprise Freight
rHtrs must advance when the COS, of
performing the service advances as
II IL doing 81 present, Just as the price
~ bread or meat or any other com.
modify Increases with increased cos,
Of production"
In answer 10 Q question Mr. Ac.
worth said that be thought American
freight rates had been al much too low
Level FOR several years past. that they
had reached this low point daring the
period Of cutthroa, competition among
the rohds and had since been held
there by regulating bodies Unless re-
lief were afforded 10 the carriers very
promptly. be said. the resuk would
be tremendou. loss TO the people Of
the whole country through lnsufti ciea.
cy OF transportation facilities
Weakness Of ooys,nmsn, ov..srship.
On the SUB cc, ~ government owner.
ship Of railways Mr.. Acworth said:
IT 10 impossible TO obtain satisfac.
tory results on government railways
In democratic state unless the man.
agcment Is cut loUse from direct Iolit.
ical control. Neither Australia nor
any other country with q democrat
ic constitutiaS-pr~hAgs an exception
ought 30 b made Of Switsr~iand-has
succeeded In maintaining q psrna ncnt
severance. In fabcs. In Belgium, In
Italy, parliamentary interference never
has bssn abandonsi Tor Q mCment
TIE facts shev that gvvsrnnsns In
tsrfsrencs has meant running the rail.
ways not for The benent Of ths prop,s
at larU. bot To satisfy Local and 60
uonal and even personal interests
Prussia. Mr.. Acwsth said. was ths
best example Of an efficient govern
ment railway system. and be pointed
out that military considerations were
treated - of paramount importance In
the Prussian railway system Will
American freight rstrs had beea ~
duced nearly 20 per cent In thirty
yearS ratcs In Prussia were nearly a.
high ss Of the beginning Of the period.
While the charge fos moving Q ton Of
freight one mile In the United States