New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-12

driven before it the Allied forces in
France; a complete organization of
every individual, every corporate &C
tlvlty, evc>y industry. every fnan-
cial agency combined and cooperating
TO support her army and navy. 1t is
the organized power of America which
VIII drive her back again"
- ape Is. johnson, president Of the
BALDWIN Locomotive Works. dis
cussed the problem of standardization,
as applying to locomotives, not
Ships. hen the government assumed
control of Transportation it became
possible to adopt and enforce stand
ards to large extent, he said. He told
OF the twelve standard specifications
Tor locomotives that had been agreed
upon and recommended
But he advised caution in the appl-
cation of the principle to railroads. He
declared that while there were obvious
operating advantages, there was also
the possibility Of paralyzing invention
and bringing improvements to a stand
still.
ut would be an evil day for Ameri-
can engineering" he said, "for Amer-
can progress in the art of transporta-
ton, which would involve policy of
encouragement to new and useful i'm
provcments in the art. We should,
therefore. look carefully before we leap
TO make sure that we arc not giving up
the substance of continued growth in
EMERGENCY and economy to grasp the
chimera OF standardization
Motive Power Inadequate
Mr.. Johnson declared that the admit
tedly inadequate motive power of the
IF
due to the practice of railroads to pur-
chase locomotives under the spur of
increased traffic and to abstain from
purchasing during periods Of reduced
earnlngs-a practice contrary to the
economies Ct the situation" Enlarge
ments of facilities should be made in
tunes of depression, he said, and the
reason why railroads have not done
this since 1907 is chat since that time
railroad managers have not been able
to accumulate SURPRISES sufficient in
their Judgment to warrant bold con-
struction in times of small earnings,
and especially because future earnings
have not been susceptible of approx
mate calculation even when the volume
of traffic could be estimate ted in adj
vance,"
Roy D. Chaplin, chairman of the
highway transportation committee of
the Committee of National Defence,
spoke Of the growing part motor trucks
are taking in transportation. He de-
clared that the roads of the country
carry a far heavier yearly tonnage
than the railroads.
He advocated also the "store door
delivery" system in use in England
and Canada, by which the freight is
taken Immediately on its arrival at the
terminal sheds and is delivered to the
address of the consignee
Would Open Roads All Year
Mir. Chaplin asked for the removal of
any regulations that tend to restrict or
discourage the use of motor trucks
lie told how the army motor trucks
have travelled across the country to the
seahoard, headed for France. and add
ed: The time is coming when all main
travelled routes in the country where
traffic is heavy will be kept open 365
days in the year. The day is passing on
the main routes when a heavy fall of
snow means that traffic is to be snow
bound for days or weeks. We are
hopeful that next winter preparation
will be made either locally or by the
states to remove the snow from .he
highways DC tween all the congested
centrcs.'
Thomas n. McCarter, president of
the Public Service Corporation of New
Jersey, made an appeal for higher rev
enues for electric railways and other
Public utilities
III the electric railways, in addition
10 performance of their usual every
day service, are to extend their lines
to the war camps, the shipyards, the
acroplane factories, the shell filling
plants and allarother similar govern
mont enterprises. if they are to equip
new lines as we'll as existing lines with
sufficient power, cars, copper and crews
to transport daily the multitudes of
workers suddenly supcrimposed in
many localities upon an existing over
congested business, the capital neces-
sary to accomplish this result must be
provided" he said
There is now a country wide move
ment under way for increased revenue.
In many cases the commissions are
facing the issues courageously and
granting the increases, but if wide
spread disaster is to be avertcd public
spirit of justice and fairness to the
companies must be created.
look forward to the working out of q
plan which involves closer cooperation
between the public and these corpora
tons"
An outline OF the work of the War
Shipping Committee at Baltimore was
presented by Charles f. Falconer,
chairman of the committee. He was
chiefly concerned with the measures
adopted to arouse enthusiasm in the
shipyard workers and with the workers
housing and transportation problems.
Waddill Catchings, chairman of the
War Service Executive Committee of
the Chamber Of Commerce, urged the