The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-09-06
Government Administration
of Railways of United States

The critics of railway operation I'M
der Government management have
been answered in statement recent
ly issued by Theodore H. Price, who
is now actuary to the United States
Railroad Administration at Washing
ton.
Mr.. Price briefs the grievances of
the various compliments as follows:
l. The advance in freight and pas
senger rates.
2. The abolition of the through bill
of lading for export freight and the
cancellation of export and import
rates.
3. The dismissal of solicitors who
"took an interest in the handling of
the traffic" and the consolidation of
freight and ticket offices.
4. The withdrawal of the credit
previously allowed in the matter of
freight charges which must now be
paid before or upon the delivery of
the goods unless the consignee gives a
bond that will protect the Govern
ment.
5. The difficulty of getting informa-
ton regarding tariffs and rates.
6. The discontinuance of the pack
age car service between important
jobbing and consuming sections.
7. The withdrawal Of the shippers
right to route their freight as they
chose.
Mr.. Price also quotes the following
editorial from a prominent daily
newspaper:
eve have now some details as to
the first five months of government
operation of the railways; and while
it is far too soon to pass any judg-
ment, two facts stand out very strong
ly and are worthy Of note.
"The first is that in these five
months, one the face of the figures,
the roads carried slightly less ton
mileage than in 1917. This, in spite
Of the tremendous pressures of war
and of tt, known increase in many
lines Of production, is certainly very
significant. Extra traffic has been
carried in other ways, largely, as we
know, by motor trucks.
"Thc second fact is that the number
of available locomotives and cars re-
manned practically the same as in the
first part of 1917. There was no in
crease. The roads were taken over
for their supposed inefficiency. But
the Government with all it's money and
power, has found il easier to acquire
experience than to increase the eff
cheney of the railroad machine.
"After five months of unlimited
credit and power there is no increase
in cars or locomotives, or rail move
ment, or tonnage hauled. To move
their increased traffic the industries of
the country have had to resort to the
highly expensive carriage by motor
trucks over country roads. This may
have been unavoidable, and the rail-
way administration, like the fuel bu-
reau, may have done everything pos
sible. 1t may prove its wonderful eff
ficiency and high superiority in time.
We merely point out there is no evil
dence yet that the Government is per-
forming no miracles that might not
have been expected of the roads them
selves, if they had simply had enough
money to go ahead in their ordinary
way"
Mr.. Price says that this is fairly
complete summary of the criticism
that is being directed at Governmental
administration of the railways, and af-
ter quoting the statistics upon which
it purports to be based he adds that
while they show that the number of
tons of freight carried one mile dur
ing the first five months of the year
was 0.6 per cent less than during the
same months last year, they also show
that the loaded car freight mileage
travelled in carriage of this freight
was 52,86S,512 miles, or $50 per cent
less than the distance Travelled under
private management in the carriage of
nearly the same ton mileage of reve-
nue. freight during the same period in
1917.
Dealing with the reduction in the
average daily mileage of locomotives
and freight cars, he points out that
this is due to the heavier train load
and car load, and explains that it is
not economically practicable to haul
heavy trains as fast as light ones, and
that the Railroad Administration has
adopted the policy of loading trains to
capacity and moving them on schedule
es that are too fast to be maintained.
This showing, he claims, indicates
not inefficiency, but striking mere
ase in the efficiency with which the
railroads arc being operated, and as
serts that it is directly due to the heav-
Ter loading of freight cars and the
greater train load now being pulled by
each engine.
He continues as follows:
The average train load has been in
creased from 262 to 28.5 tons, or SS
per cent. If this ratio is maintained,
it will be the equivalent of an addit-
ion of 8.8. per cent, of 211, 200 freight
cars to the present equipment of about |
100000 cars, and if the ratio of in
crease in the train load, equal to 27
per cent is maintained, it will be the
equivalent of adding about 1850 TO
tho y,rocant art,irp,a,t Of Soma eS |