Arizona republican., 1918-09-22
MOTOR PLAYING B|C
 SERVICE IN SAVING
 RAILROAD BLOCKING

To release labor. rolling stock and terminal space facilities and to insure maximum movement of goods. supplies and materials necessary for the na- tion's increased operations, both at home andabroad, it is essential for Uncle sam 10 help conserve motor pow CT. trackage and terminal facilities for the movement of freight and to elim- nate unnecessary passenger trains and unessental passenger equipment. Tn both of these steps, the motor truck and the automobile fit in with a made to-order accuracy.
 To conserve motor power, the short haul must be eliminated, and through express and freight schedules must be maintained. The constant starting and stopping of a locomotive consumes fuel The more freight cars to be hauled. the greater number of locomo- uves Co move them. If freight cars were loaded with needed supplies for delivery at long distances only, less motor power would be required in pro- portion to the amount of goods hauled
 The motor truck has proven to be dependable in taking care of all the freight and express matter that form erly necessitated short haul equip- ment. releasing both locomotives and freight ears for long distance use" says George II. Reubens, local Kissel dis tributor Manufacturers and ship pers, who have employed motor trucks Tor this purpose, have found them just as dependable and economical as the railroads. and l understand that even the railroads arc releasing equipment by themselves employing motor trucks between short haul points.
 To mo, it is not very difficult problem to conserve motor power as well as trackage and terminal facili- ties. Motor trucks have been proven not wanting. when operated on an ef llciency basis, similar to the railroads. " is merely question of laying plans. mapping out schedules, and forming routes.
 Take the second necessary step that of eliminating unnecessary pass cngcr trains and unessential passenger equipment On June 1st, there were reported 53.296 passenger cars on all steam roads in the United States. Dur ing l9l7 1,002, 900 passengers were carried. with an average mileage per passenger of 36 miles. This makes a total of 36,O72,00,000 passenger miles One June list, 1918. there were 5,240,- oOO automobiles registered. Babson'. statistical organization says that tn, average annual mileage per car I. 1000 miles and the average number of passengers carried is three-a con. servative figure as you will admit. Thi. gives us 7S.630 GOO. 900 passenger mile. per automobile. or more than twice a! much passenger service as the rail roads.
 Here again to my mind any neces sary elimination of passenger train and unessential passenger equipmen is a simple proposition. Right now tn, automobiles are carrying more passen gers than the railroads. Why no recognize this utility of the automo bile. just the same as we recognize tn utility of the motor truck? They botl assume part of the burdens of tn railroads.
 Just as the motor truck has solve, the short haul problems in the freigh division of the railroad, why canno the automobile solve the short hau passenger problem, especially in tn thickly populated sections of the coun try? During the winter months, thi would have to be curtailed to a cer tain extent, especially in the nortf hut it could be continued the yea round in the south, southeast an southwest.
 "The value to the nation as a whol of putting both motor trucks and au tomobles to work will he inestimabl, To me. it is a logical step, because would contribute much to the solutio of the nations transportation prob lem"