The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-07-12

a EfHeisnoy That
r-..;. confronts Country en- Account
! transportation situstion--Lewsst
r,.,shs Rates 10 De Found In United
sissss-
bennington, D. C.-That the Unit.
y, r,a,es Is face to face with seri-
erisis in its commercial affairs,
~ q the conditions by which its
.'..snortation system is confronted,
the opinion expressed by w. M.
.sworth. England's leading authority
8 railways, before the Newlands joint
soomjttee on interstate commerce at
srecIal session held here to enable
~ committee to hear his views before
i. departure for London. Two steps
~ necessary, according to Mr.. Ac-
-orsh to avert this crisis and to solve
~ threatening railroad problem con-
/ fronting the country.
The first is to allow the railroads to
| .hsrae freight rates sufficient to meet
/ ~ great advance in operating ex-
( ueuses which is taking place and to
4 sp.hIe them to command the credit
/ ,aesssary to provide the extensions
snd improvements needed to meet the
4 roving demands Of business. The Sec
and d to do away with the multiple
4 md conflicting systems Of regulation
4 that now hamper railway operation
! and 10 provide one centralized regula-
/ tory agency with such local subdivi-
sons 40 may be necessary.
HIohsr Rates Public Necessity.
NJ. Acworth's views on the transpor-
/ htIon situation in the United States
ware expressed in answer to questions
I b 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
1 b the present problem before the
4 United States.
Il "Ths fundamental factor in the stu
n alton Ii very simple said Mr.. Ac-
q worth. 1T lies in the fact that you
cannot get three quarters of a cents
Il worth Of work done for less than three
n quarters OF cent. no matter whether
he agency performing it Is a govern
nent or private enterprise. Freight
4 rates must advance when the cost of
a performing the service advances as
n iis doing at present, just as the price
& Of bread or meat or any other COM
modify increases with increased cost
q 81 production"
n In answer to question Mr.. Ac-
worth said that he thought American
height rates had been at much too low
level for several years past. that they
bad reached this low point during the
period Of cutthroat competition among
ne roads and had since been held
here BY regulating bodies. Unless re-
Hef were afforded to the carriers very
promptly, he said, the result would
Da tremendous loss to he people of
ne whole country through insufficient
vof transportation facilities.
Weakness Of Government Ownership.
On the subject of government owner
mp q railways Mr.. Acworth said:
~ is impossible to obtain satisfac-
o'y results on government railways
" democratic state unless the man
ssement Is cut loose from direct polit-
Ral control Neither Australia nor
sns other country with a democrat
constltution--perhaps an exception
0ugnl % be made of Switzerland-ha
succeeded In maintaining a permanent
s'erance. In France, in Belgium, In
u'y, parliamentary Interference never
nss peen abandoned for a moment.
'as iacts show that government in
's''s1shce has meant running the rail.
ss,s not for the benefit of the people
\ @lge, but to satisfy local aud Sec
1'nal and even personal interests"
russia, Mr.. Acworth said. was the
sss' example of an efficient govern
-sus railway system, and he pointed
- snat military considerations were
as''ea as Of paramount Importance in
y russian railway system. While
alsllcan freight rates had been re-
saesa nearly 40 per cent in thirty
MI ss'ls rates IN Prussia were nearly as
NV as at the beginning of the period.
,, .a''e she charge for moving a ton of
'n' one mile in the United States
trifle ove- three-quarters OF a
cents. 'u'S'a Was la
~. Illustrating the difference in rates
Men government and private roads
~ Aeworth compared the railways
"ew south Wales, Australia, with
es ~ u Texas. While the amount CT
n s'''e % each mile OF line was about
NJ same IN both cases. he pointed out,
r.,, ssas railways performed for the
Az Tour times as much service as
sor, ssSssrnment owned roads of New
4, wales. The charge in Texas
=. suing ton Of freight one mile
,,,,.s - than ! cent. wtile in the Aus
49, state It was we'll over cents.
MA I, railways lead the world"
~ ~. Acworth. Nowadays when
*, ! any other part OF the world
a., Y know how to run a railway