The Washington times., 1919-09-13
By F. L. FAULKNER.

In recent issue of the Engineering News Record there
appears very interesting article by C. W. Baker, consult
ing editor the cost of freight transport by railway and
by motor truck being attempt to determine the
paave economy of the railway and the motor truck under
various conditions
The article deals very specifically with various methods
arriving at the per mile of overland transportation
and that of railway as we'll The advantage is all in favor
of the motor truck
1t is very evident that the author has gone into the
matter very thorough shape and it should be of great
assistance to everyone engaged IN motor truck ranspora
on read this exhaustive treatise thoroughly Mr. Baker
states that there very sharp contrast between the bust
condition of the light traffic railway and the motor
truck at the present time On hand, the truck
facurers lavishing millions of dollars in the develop
ment of their machines and in pushing them into while
hundreds of millions being spent highways and many
thousand undertaking motortruck operations
In contrast to this the ighttraffc railways dead
broke financially and unable to spend any money to
better their methods of machinery This condition is not
enhanced any by the trend of public opinion and belief that
the industry hopeless failure The almost surety of
reapng large profits is stimulating enterprise In the
acure and use of motor trucks yet few have perceived
that there is incentive of profit to betteent of
the railway business if under private ownership.
To begin with such development could only be under
taken by public authority and with thought of immediate
profit While motor trucks will be the ultimate to
traffic congestion sight must not be- lost of the value of
lghraf6c railways they fill very important place in
the great transportation network
1t is by survival of the fttes and to plan
curtament of facilities of railway transportation, believ
ing that the substitution of motor transportation would
the needs is falacy Unquestionably this is
motor age Unquestonaby the attaining of perfect sys
tenn of highways throughout the country depends upon the
auomotive industry and turn the automotve industry
depends for its better roads There is COM
interest that must only result in the end which all
DESIRE but there many difficulties to overcome many
many miles of red tape to unwind and many ueror
tives to be obviated before this end is reached
But successful system of motor transportation cannot
and will not succeed without the contbutory help of the
light traffic railways They both work hand in hand, and
is dependent upon the oher in great desire to
for overland transportation let forget the great value
feeders and otherwise that both the lghac railway
and the motor truck routes would be to each other.
The free competition that prevails in the motortruck
field acts stmuant in its development But such COM
petition not only induces waste but it does injury both to
the traffic and the public due to the fierce scramble
for business which is going With competitors
all the time appearing many with general ignorance of
operating COSTS the inevitable result is that it divides up the
business to such extent that obtain full truck
loads, and, therefore, profits disappear
There should be public recognition regulation
of the motortruck business either by of franchise
or otherwise. By this of public control there is
obtained better regulation of truckoads and speeds than
has hitherto been possible Not only will the holder of
exclusive franchise for operating motortrck routes have
his trucks under strict official scrutiny, but he will be
on the watch for any infringement of rules regulating
weights and speed limits by independent truck owners
attempting sporadic competition with him.
AS regards the lightraffc railway, the nations hope
of improved efficiency for its transportation lies in the
railways Improvement The Federal department of trans
portation could begin its with helpful
task than this