The Arvada enterprise., 1917-05-31
BRITISH EXPERT
lAuDS RAILROADS
OF UNITED STATES
Tells Congress Committee That
They Lead World.
NO GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP

IL Would Mean Political Control and
Loss Of Efieisney-Dsclarss That
Crisis Confronts Country on Account
Of Transportation Saskatchewan
Freight Rates to Be Found In United
States.
Washington, May 14.-That the Unit
ed States Is face to face with a 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
on interstate commerce at a special
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 10 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 . Public Necessity.
Mr.. Acworth's views on tho transpor.
tation situation in the United States
We're expressed In answer to questions
by members Of the committee, who
asked him to apply his knowledge
OF railway conditions throughout tho
world and Of the experience Of other
countries with government ownership
to the present problem before the Unit
ed States.
1.-The fundamental factor in tho cit.
uation ID very simple" said Mr.. Ac-
worth. ut lies in tho fact that yoa
cannot get three-Quarters Of 4 cents
worth Of work done for less than three
quarters of a cent. no matter whether
tho agency performing 1t Is a govern.
ment or private enterprise. Freight
rates must advance when the cost Of
performing the service advances a.
It 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 . question Mr. Ac-
worth said that he thought American
freight rates had been at much too low
a level for several years past, that they
had reached this low point during the
period Of cutthroat competition among
the roads and had since been held
there by regulating bodies. Unless re.
lief were afforded to the carriers very
promptly. he said. tho result would
be n tremendous loss to the people Of
the whole country through insufiicien.
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
Nc's vi EVveA AHlChS
In democratic state unless the man.
agcmcnt Is cut loose from direct poiit-
ical control. Neither Australia nor
any other country with q democrat.
10 constitution-perhap s an exception
ought to be made Of Switzerland-has
succeeded In mainta lining . perina nent
severance. In France. in Belgium, In
hi lin, anti tnt
has been abandoned for Z moment.
Tho facts show that government in.
reference has meant running tho rail.
ways not for the benefit OF tho people
Mt large. but to satisfy local and sec.
tional and even personal interests.
Prussia, Mr.. Acworth said. was tho
best example OF an efficient govern.
ment railway system. and he pointed
out that military considerations were
treated MS Of paramount importance In
the Prussinn railway system. While
American freight rates had been TO
duced nearly 40 per cent In thirty
years. rates In Prussia were nearly as
high as Mt the beginning OF the period
While tho charge for moving a ton Of
''V's"N oHN III NV tultVu Stutes
was = trifo over thrce-quartcrs OF Q
cent, tho ratio In Prussia was la
tents.
AS illustrating the difference In rates
between government and private ronds
Mr.. Acworth compared tho railways
Of New South Wales. Australia. with
thos. OF TEXAS While the amount OF
traffic 10 each mile OF line was about
the same In both cases. he pointed out,
the Texas railways performed for the
public four times rs much service Al
the government owned roads of New
South Wales The charge In TeIns
for hnuling q ton Of freight on. mile
was less than cent. Will. In the Aus
trslian state II was well over 2 cents
american railways lead the world
said Mr. Acworth. "Sowndnys when
men In any other part OF the world
want TO know how to run u rnllwa,
they come TO the United States and
study your railways here. Tn. Amer
lean railways are entirely the result
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