Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-15
RAIL COLLAPSE EUROPE ANALED BUSINESS NOTES

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interesting and readable to try to give
an outline of what he had to say with
out any attempt at logical arrangement
I'm France the railroad tariff is fixed
by law he said. "It is now admit
tedly too low. but there has been an
indisposition materially to increase 1t,
Just as there has been an indisposition
materially to increase taxes. The result
is sad deficiency in income and
serious decline in the physical condition
Of the rolling stock.
THE French railroads seem never to
| scrap rolling stock. l have seen loco
motive regularly running on French
railroad that bore the date 1857 on its
namcplate. That locomotive would be
in n museum in America. Its boiler
tubes were all Of copper. 1t is today
in regular operation. The way IN which
France has conserved its old rolling
stock makes me wonder il Americans
have not gone mad on rebuilding rail-
roads.
Economical as is the management of
the French lines, their income at the
present too low rates is not sufficient to
keep up properly their physical condi-
tion. The Allies have paid the Nord
Railway f3 200, 900 on account and that
is all that has kept the road going. The
! finances of all the French roads are
bad
"In France a tremendous amount will
have to be spent to restore the railroads
to good physical condition. The prob
lem is by no means insurmOuDtable. but
France will have to put up rates.
Everything that railroad buys has
gone up and there must be an advance
in the price Of what it has TO sell.
'lf the French railroad managers
would only introduce some kind of eff
cheney; if they would learn TO do some
things in the way they have seen them
done under American and English di
rectiOn. their position would be much
easier. | think after the Americans
and English have gone home the
French will introduce better system
but they dislike to do that under thu
eyes of the foreigners.
England Finds Remedy
''In England an extraordinarily hap
, ny arrangement was made at the yer!
outbreak Of the war. The British gov
ernment took over 80 per cent of thu
railroad lines, guaranteeing them thu
> same net return as they made in 1913
'"Thc government allows the same
amount to be spent on upkeep anC
charged to operating expenses as was
spent in 1913, plus 20 per cent, the q
; per cent being allowed to cover the in.
/, creased cost of material and labor
There was so much difficulty in getting
labor that fl 100000 of this upkeel
fund is unexpcndcd.
The passenger rates in England
were increased 80 per cent, not so mucl
to get additional revenue as to prevent
travel Freight rates were not material!
raised. Much traffic that had formerly
=, moved by water had to be removed by
, rail, and this made new tariffs neces
, sary and increased the business of tn
, railroads.
''There was formed railroad execu
: tive committee, made up of eleven OF
, twelve managers. The president of tn,
Board of Trade was the nominal head
but he was not active. No conclusion
was put into force without the unani
.nou' nv, rpnsen' Vi tnia AeIu.Ne .o".,ii' mn
ottitude and did nor hammer tho oovern
ment ond Tho resu,t 10 thot tbere bo,
h.en huiIt nm M co,troror.y hetwo, ,
tho ooyornmon+ and +bo mono,ers
.In an rngrordod moment tbe GOV
.rnment nrom;sod tho unions tbot :
would CONFERENCE.-The cons;dor a,
o;obt bo,,r dor VIII .ho or,,,;s.;a
tho ,,,,;ons r.J;otol,, o $50
ona dnn,anJad NV o;ah+ hnm. J,r ~
nnoo I'D coanno S;n .Iha.. A:o,D
Iond stonIar CaJIos ond Sir Mon
hont woILar oil noado nrnl,ison hafon