The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-13
RAILWAYS AND WAR
PASSENGER TRAFFIC SERVICE,
LUXURY THREATENED.
First and Most Obvious Economy
Effected by Reducing Number of
Trains VIII BE Saving i'm Coal Con-
sumption-Possible Readjustments.

New York Sun: American love of lux.
ury has no better example than the pas
senger service provided by the railroads
Of this country. Everyone knows that
American railway trains are far in ad
vance OF those Of any other country in
comfort, and for long distances at least
in speed also, but the travelling public
does not always realize that the great
multiplicity of passenger service provid.
ed between the important centers Of
population in this country is no less a
luxury not enjoyed elsewhere and one
which the stern needs Of war may short.
ly make it necessary to forego.
II has long been held by some rail
way managers that the interests Of true
economy demanded some reduction IN
the number Of passenger trains, and one
of the first steps taken by the executive
committee of the American Railway As.
ISOLATION, which is practically in control
Of the nations transportation facilities
for the period of the war, was to urge
upon the various companies the pro.
priety Of arranging for a substantial re-
duction in passenger service.
The present condition is a relic. al
most the last one, of the old days Of ur
restricted competition between the dif-
ferent companies. 1t is a survival of the
days when rates were made in the t.af.
fic managers office without supervis
ion by federal or state commissions
when cooperation was undreamed of
and each line considered that its duty
lay in running as many trains as were
necessary to care for all the traffic be-
tween any points which it served re-
gardless of rival lines, which were Ger.
tain to share to some extent in the busl
ness.
Those were the palnfy days Of ra1.
roading, the days of brass trimmed loc'
omotives, Of sleeping cars fearfully and
wonderfully decorated, when a division
superintedent had the powers Of a gov
ernorgeneral, and n railroad presiden.
was the absolute monarch. not only OF
all he surveyed, but generally Of all the
territory served by his company. Sta.
tistics had not yet begun to play a
prominent part in railway management
A soul-satisfying name for the newest
crack train was more important than
the mere detail of earnings per train
mile.
Public Service Commissions.
SO it came to pass that when the dav
Of the railroad czars came TO an end. as
the day Of all czars seems to do sooner
or later. and much Of the authority
which had once vested in them began
to be exercised by public service com
missions in the several states the abo-
lition Of passenger trains became more
or less a political question. Any attempt
to do away with one was resisted 20
the bitter end by every inhabitant OF the
district through which the gaudy flier
passed; IL mattered not whether the
particular objector had even been
aboard the train or not. Public service
commissions were often reluctant 4,
fly in the face OF public opinion, popu.
lation increased, and not only did the
Improbable trains remain in service.
but there was a constant demand for
more and more trains. frequently en-.
forced by the specific orders OF the state
commissions.
So arose the situation as II is today
Every important city in the United
States il served by from three to ten
times as many trains as are similar
centers OF population in other parts OF
the world.
The traveller between New York and
Chicago has at present the choice of
thirty.six different trains. sixteen on the
New York Central, ten on the Pennsyl
vania four on the Lackawanna four on
the Baltimore 4 Ohio and two on the
Erie. Should business or pleasure take
him to Philadelphia, he is confronted
with a selection OF forty.two trains 5n
the Pennsylvania. seventeen on the New
Jersey Central and eight on the Baltl.
more & Ohio, sixty-seven in all. Even
distant points like Jacksonville or
New orleans are the objectives OF half
a dozen trains every twenty.four hourn
In Europe In normal times the service
offered between the important cities
seems niggardly in the extreme by CON
parison. London. Manchester and Liver
pool, the three greatest commercial cit
les OF Great Britain, all lie within a
radius OF 800 miles and are connected
by half dozen different lines. but the
train service between them. though ex
peditlous and convenient. is equalled by
the facilities enjoyed by a score OF
more OF the lesser cities OF the United
states.
on the continent the contrast Is even
greater. Between London and Paris.
scarcely 200 miles apart, there ran daily
before the war only half dozoL
through trains. a day and night trala
on each OF three routes. Between Paris
and Berlin, a distance Of $50 miles, tray
cling is trlffle difficult at present,
but prior TO August, 1914. an American
who undertook the Journey was gener
ally astonished to learn that there were
only two or three trains which made
the journey without change. and that
only one OF those carried a sleeping car,
Between the other continental capitals
the same conditions prevailed.
IL Is not astonishing then that Fair.
fax Harrison. chairman OF the railroad
war board should have made the sug
gestions he did recently TO the various
roads OF the country. In a circular h..
sued over his signature as chairman he
proposed readiustment OF passenger
service as follows:
Proposed REIMBURSEMENT.
81 Consolidate where practicable