Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-05-26
IS DEATH KNELl OF
SHORT LINE ROADS
Motor Trucks are Taking Very
Prominent Part in Com
mcrCial Life.
is ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
Motor VIII Substitute Freight Cars
In Our Short Haul
Traffic
PAVED HIGHWAYS FOR RAILS
Loading and Receiving Platforms
VIII BE Built for Inhi-
Nidual shippers.

THE introduction Of the motor
truck into our commercial life
sounds the death knelI Of the short
line railroad" was the declaration
of F. A. Seiberllng. president OF the
Goodyear Tire & Rnbhcr co. and
also of the Lincoln Highway asso-
citation, at the recent annual meet
ing OF the chamber Of commerce OF
the United States, at Chicago
"Perhaps never again" continued
Mr.. Seiberllng. "cNCept where heavy
tonnage is TO be handled, will short
line railroads be built IN this couu-
try. Due to Its proven economic
value. the motor truck IS moving ir-
resistably forward. and now viii be
forced by the pressure Of war neces-
sity to do in a year or two what
| economic efficiency would have led
II. to do sooner or later--domlnate
completely the short-hau field
We must substitRG in our short
haul traffic the motor"truck for the
! freight caf the permanent, con-
| tinuous, paved highway for the steel
rallied and rock ballasted road-hed /,
and the loading and receiving plat
form of the individual shipper. for
| the railroad yards and freight ter
minals netdlessly Cougested with
freight which could be hauled on
motor trucks. The motor truck
carries its own terminal facilities,
being ableuto carry product from
its point of origin to ats point of
utilization.
"Disregarding entirely the saving
! in cost of short-h haul transporta-
ton 1t must be done to relieve the
railroads. 1t would have to he done
even IL the cost were the same or
| greater than rail delivery. But the
fact that 1t Is cheaper, quicker and
more efficient than the short-haul
! railroad. assures. the permanent and
| continuous development OF motor
truck transportation, even after the
war emergency which gave 1t birth
has passed.
Trucks Better Than Railroads.
within a range Of so to 100
miles the motor truck is easily today
on better than even terms with the
| railroads. All that is needed is the
building Of hard-surfaced highways
Of adequate strength, capable OF car
fying the new burden that this
great advance in transportation will
i require. Such highways we must
! have. 1t is no longer a question of
whether we should or should not
build them with money, labor and
! equipment. which. it was at first
| thought. could be better devoted
! during the war TO other purposes.
| II is now only a question as to
where and how these new arteries
I of traffic should be constructed.
1--WE have today 100000 motor
! trucks in service in this country,
Those competent to Spdge, estimate
that within five years aft0g the war
shall end, this number will exceed
100000. 4 and that nothing can stop
this great economic movement ex-
cept the failure (which would be q
national calamity to build hard
surfaced roads of adequate strength
to carry the greater tonnage at the
higher speed that will he required
I'VE need and should have at
once, created and empowered by
proper legislation, a strong, indie
pendent federal highway depart.
ment, adequately supplied with
money and broad discretionary pow
ers over its expenditure, so organ
lzed lhaI IL CouId make thOrouCn
survey OF motor truck transportation
requirements. and dictate to state.
county and township units, upon
what roads their money should he
expended Small censure, however.
an be laid on these ad-construCt-
ing units for our lack of connecting
highways, for no machinery has
been provided TO enable them 10
cooperate with each other effic-
iently.
There are THOUSANDS Of interned
enemy aliens and federal prisoners
now idly wasting their time as wards
OF the government, or deyotiug Il
TO pastimes or ineffective labor, Sc
lected by their individual prefer
ment who might, in this crisis, be
assisting in speeding up Americas
transportation and wartime effic-
iency"