Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-06
CONTROL OF ROADS
BOOM FOR AUTOS
CurtaiIed Passenger Service
Aid to Industry, Asserts
Alfred Reeves.
PREDICTS BIG INCREASE


Taking over the operation of he rail-
roads by the government viii bring fur
Their recognition of the passenger car and
motor truck as transportation factors.
said Alfred Reeves, general manager of
the National Automobile Chamber of
Commerce. yesterday. when asked how
the Presidents proclamation would af-
feet the manufacture and use Of motor
vehicles. while railroad off-c ials might
dislike to take such action. Director Cen
eral McAdoo is certain to require that
more passengers and more freight for
short distances be carried by motor We
hicles and thus relieve railroad conges-
ton at terminal points. With many pas
senger trains taken off, people must make
greater use Of motor cars.
IF the government retains control OF
the railroads after the war. it is almost
certain to coordinate the transportation
Of freight. express and postal matter, all
OF which pass over the railroads To
give the ma ximum service to all commu-
mites in the country, the Post Office De-
partment will establish motor truck rural
mail and parcel post service out of all the
larger cities of the country. and motor
stage lines and freight service between
points on the railroads and towns without
n
ers to the railroads.
Predicts Auto Boom.
This means an enormous deveIonment
IN the use OF motor vehicles and, Of
course, tremendous increase in their
manufacture. Under private operation
the railroads never have looked with "a
vor on the motor vehicle. considering it
as competition instead Of utilizing IL an
means OF increasing their own business
ness ana revenue. as is done by the lead
The government, on the contraryE
has already shown its recognition of
the possibilities of the motor truck.
This is especially true of the Postnas-
ter General. who has always been an
advocate of the use of motor trucks
In the mail service. He has already
| installed them in most of the large
cities and has recently called for bids
Tor Tor mte motor mo service between
and Hartford. Conn, and Detroit and
Toledo. He wants Congress to enact
Legislation that will authorize him to
establish motor truck parcel post serv-
Ice within radius of fifty miles of
the larger cities, and has even offered
to take over all the delivery work of
the retail dry goods merchants in New
York city. proposing to buy their de-
livery equipment and have the stores
mail their packages as parcel post
matter
Will Benefit Public.
although the presidential procla-
nation did not mention the express
companies" continued Mr. Reeves, "it
will become almost necessary to take
over their operation also as a govern
ment function because of their close
relations with the railroads With the
collection, transportation and delivery
OF mail and express matter In the
hands of the government, as 1t has been
for years in European countries, a nat
ural and very much to be desired adj
ditiona1 function will be the collection
and delivery Of all package freight
handled by the railroads. This has
become passing necessity to relieve
the confusion and congestion at the
freight houses and piers under the
present ANTICIPATED policy of leaving
| this work to private teaming compa-
MES and individual shippers and con-
siRnees.
This coordination of freight. ex-
press and mail service, as Indicated"
Mr.. Reeves concluded, will be of i'm
mense benefit to the public, will in
crease the revenue of the railroads
| and the post office and will incidental
(ly do more than the present war is
doing to build up the motor truck
manufacturing industry to a point
whore the yearly turnover will exceed
the aggregate value Of production of
passenger automobiles"