New-York tribune., 1919-01-14

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.--In the an
nual report of the Railroad Admlnistra-
ton. just issued, William G. McAdoo,
recently Director General, expresses
the hope that with return Of normal
conditions it will be found possible
gradually to reduce both freight and
passenger rates.
Mr.. McAdoo also said although it
was necessary last year to curtail pas
senger traffic in the East alone to the
extent of about 90 0OOO00 train miles
by the elimination of numerous trains,
1t probably would prove necessary
shortly to adopt the old methods of pri-
vate ownership and competitive days
and resort to general and special ad-
vertising to stimulate passenger bust
ness.
one OF the great transportation prob
lens soon to develop, Mr.. Meade pre-
dlcted, would be the efficient handling
OF export and import freight. His re-
port states that material progress al
ready has been made in routing freight,
especially in TIE West, where hauls on
the average aic much longer than in
the East, and further efforts were being
put forth to render it easier to invade
foreign markets.
Shows $1,000 900 Saving
AS 10 financial savings, Mr.. McAdoo
remarks that through abrdgement Of
time tables and restriction OF Advertise
ing which. however, is soon to be re-
sumed, the administration economical
to the exteat of $700O,0OO.
The report says elimination of trains
enabled the railroad directorate to
handle properly the transport of troops
and supplies, which otherwise would
have been Impossible, and the consoi-
dation of ticket Offices was an actual
convenience to the pubic. 1t continues:
MY report to the President, covering
the seven months period ended July 81,
1918, showed total saving as result
of this policy of $16,566,o ,o33 To this
amount a substantial sum has since
been added, the detailed figures of
which will be given in the regional di-
rectors' reports.
For the purpose Of conserving trans
portatlon energy and that every avail
able passengeI coach, sleeping car and
locomotive might be released for use
IN the movement of troops, and track
and terminal facilities might be cleared
ssential food, fuel, war supplies and
freight of all kinds might be moved en-
pedltlously and economlc cally, it was de-
clded to eliminate those passenger
trains that gave q duplicate service and
were run mainly for competitive rea-
sons, and, after careful study, to elm
mate number of other trains where
it could be done without too great IN
convenience to the travelling public.
staggering" Trains a Convenience
"That the travelling public might be
discomm oded as little as possible, the
policy OF staggering trains between
commercial centres was adopted, so the
traveller might be free to use the train
leaving at the most convenient hour.
AS an indication of the saving eff
1ectcd, and unnecessary passenger train
miles eliminated under this plan,
might mention that during the first
seven months of Federal control an
were done away with in the territory
west of Chicago and the Mississippi
River, while in the Eastern district 26.-
10000 miles were eliminated. With
cut this saving in motive power and
equipment, the millions Of troops trans
ported from one section of the country
to another, often for long distances,
could not have been handled with such
signal success
Cons iderable progress is still being
made in reducing passenger train
mileage. although the closing Of the
war and gradual return to normal con-
ditions Is resulting in restoration of
some trains that were discontinued.
The net results accomplished will be
included in the reports of the regional
directors
Consolidation of Terminals
"Other reforms that were and are
still being worked out in the passenger
service include common use of the
same terminals by railroads formerly
Iii competition and using separate
terminals. The most conspicuous ex-
ample Of the latter innovation is the
use of the Pennsylvania Terminal in
New York for through trains via the
Baltimore g. Ohio between Washing
ton and New York.
"The same principle has been ap-
phed as rapidly as possible in con-
solidatlon of freight terminals. The
saving of switching costs that has re-
suited, and the greater rapidity with
which cars have been handled and
loaded and unloaded, is already an
parent. The neck Of the TRANSFORMATION