Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-05-04
RAILROADS MAY USE
MOTOR TRUCKS ASA
FEEDER PROPOSITION
Plan Outlined by One Authority
Is to Build Better Highways
and Abandon Spur Railroad
Lines.

That the railroad of the future may
find 1t more economical to tear ur
snort line tracks and develop motor
truck transportation in its place wa
the forecast made recently in an adj
dress on the future status of the rail-
roads by G. A. Morse, assistant direc-
tor or operation in charge of engineer
ing and maintenance for the United
States railroad administration. Morse
delivered his paper before members OF
the New York Railroad club and his
remarks We're followed with close at
tention as coming from one of the best
known railroad men in the country.
THE perfection of the motor truck
and tractor, together with the univer-
sal use of the automobile, has intro
duced new element into the trans.
portaticn problem that should be taken
into consideration at this time, while
studying the reorganization of the
whole transportation question: said
Morse.
Good roads are demanded for the
use of the automobile and study
should he made to see what additional
expense would be necessary to so con
struct them that they would serve for
ii'bipI ltuth anu iiSlCloI w mere, mere
tofure, development of the country for
so miles either side of a trunk line OF
railroad has required the construction
of light branch lines, it is Il question
to seriously considered whether this
policy should be continued or whether
good wagon roads should be construct
ed and the products of farms and pas
scrEer travel should not be handled by
motor trucks, and automobile to the
main line.
BRANCH LINES UNPRoFlTABlE.
Taken alone and considered as
unit, practically none of these small
branch lines pay expenses, but as ga
therers of freight and passengers to
increase density of traffic on the main
lines they are sources of profits.
"As, however, the traffic gathered
by them is turned over to the main
line with deficit attached which
has to be overcome during the main
line movement before any profit is
made, 1t would be a decided advan-
tage if this traffic could be delivered
to the trunk line by means of the mo-
tor truck. tractor and automobile
without this bill OF expense attached"
Noting the fact that a handling
would thus be obviated since it is now
necessary to truck farm products to
the short line branch, then transfer
them to the main line, Morse contin
ued
Investigation of this subject may
shcw the desirability as good roads
are completed, of the taking up of
many branch line railroads and utiliz-
ing the abandoned roadbed for i'm
proved motor road, thus decreasing
the expense of maintenance and oper
alton of our railroads. and giving in its
place q we'll located motor road. Such
q change would call for increased ia
cilities at stations along the main line
for passengers and for hauling freight,
including storage, trackage etc, but
it would mean the concentration of
and labor, permitting bet
ter housing and living conditions 70:
employees.
Motor driven conveyances have
gradually been changing conditions of
railroad transportation for the past 10
year, and now that the general study
OF transportation facilities is up for
it should be taken into
careful consideration, and due weight
given to it's influence on the econo-
mics of the situation