Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-11

now been gathered" said Mr. johnson,
that II may be said that electric trans
mission power in railway service hao
largely passed the experimental stage
and the oficiencieg predetermined arc
realized
The question arises as TO what is TO
be tho future relationship between steam
and electricity. Doubtless the clectrih-
cation Of suburban lines and the ap-
plication OF electricity to lines having
great density Of traffic viii be tinan.
cially justified and as these grow iu
number and join themselves together
electric zones viii be created IN which
n win be more economical 10 adopt
electricity exclusively as the motive
power
Any question Of rivalry between the
steam and electric locomotive may bc
act aside The problem g. wholly an
economic one the only quection being
as 10 which rs the more efficient and
suitable for the particular conditions.
pnd the consequent adoption Of one ur
the other Is dependent upon the geo
graphical or other circumguncoy gov
crninS each Gaze.
steam NitsI Necessity
Tho Introduction Of electric locomo.
tiveg, by reason Of the cost Of ingt3ll8-
ton. must be . gradual one. Tho in.
crease Of efficiency and economy must
be clearly shown before cepital can bc
induced 10 mako the necessary invest
meut As these advantage arc cQnclu-
Sivelv shown, % viii tho development
Of clectrification grow, but il would yp-
pear that tho whole transportation PROB
lem Of the country As a whole. outside
of tho larger cities and their suburban
territory, must for soma time rely urcu
steam locomotion 30 its most availabl.
and economical motive power.
The motive power of the country ta
admittedly inadequate 10 tho service de-
I nsnded Of it under tho present war
conditions. During the depression pre-
ced ng the war there was a small sur
plus Of power which. AS should have
been foroseon would bo absorbed i'll
traffic with the first increase Of activity
/ As rule, railroada have purchased
| locomotives largely under tho spur cf
excessive traffic and have abStaincd from
| purchasing during periods Of reduced
earnings. This is contrary TO the eco
nomicS Of the situation Enlarsements
/ Of facilities should be made in times of
/ depression, because, first that i5 the
! cheapest time 10 do It; second, It is the
most convenient tImo to do It, and, third,
/ It f. the time when mana gers can give
! most attention TO DOING il, and, fourth.
/ the employment Of labor arising out of
/ large railway purchases tends TO miti-
/ gate the severity of a general depres-
/ HCu.
! The reason the railroads have not
done this since 1907 IS, that under regu-
/ latcry policy which went into effect At
that time, railway managers have not
been able to accumulate surpluses sum
cio~t in their iudgrncnJ TO warrant bold
construction in times ct small earnings.
and especially because future earnings
haNo not been susceptible of approxi-
mate calculation even where the volume
Of traffic could DO estimated in ad-
vance.
adequate provision Of motive power,
/ like adequate provision of other rolling
stock and other facilities, can only be as
surCd when Congress places upon the
/ fuuctionary charged with the duty of
regulating rates the definite reSonsi-
| bili;y Of making such rates as will yield
earnings sufficient for thorough main
teuance for adequate improvements and
sufficient to attract the capital neces-
sary for providing additions and cN-
tensions"