The Washington times., 1921-08-21
SERVICE IS KEY
To RA|LROADING
DECLARES FORD
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overnight by the well-known Ford
formulate calling for increased pay,
reduced waste in labor and materials
and more efficient service at less cost
all increasing the volume of business.
do not get the idea that we know
anything about the transportation
business" he insisted whenever the
interview threatened to touch on his
successful operation OF the ID. T. & L.,
but we do know something of the
failure OF railroads to serve the pup
lic We're a part of the public.
However, he could not deny that
moving his products about the fac
tory constituted transportation in "a
crude form and that as manu-
facturer of automobiles he has kept
approximately 100000 freight cars
one-fifth of existing rolling stock
busy every year.
Whatever success we have had In
the operation of the ID. T. & !. is
due to the fact that we found our
selves with 1t on our hands and we
| Jumped in and ran il just as we
would any business" he stated. I'VE
knew that railroads were designed
to keep cars moving, SO We did
Just that.
1.-THE Ford Motor Company had
learned about railroading from the
shippers side, and we conceived the
idea that IL shippers were to be
served, trains had to be- started
and kept going until they arrived
somewhere. Neither the railroads nor
the shippers were benefited by trains
lying in the yards or upon side
! tracks.
Imagine all the freight cars of
the nation moving on an average
of eighteen miles each twenty-four
hours as they did during the war.
| Why, two good men could almost
push a loaded car that distance in
that length Of time. We have in
creased the d. It. & I. average from
/ fifteen and seven.tenths to thirty
six and seven-tenths. There is no
good reason why they shouldnt
move 175 miles in twenty-four hours.
Loafing at an End.
How have we done IT, you ask?
Just by taking up the slack, or elm
ination of the loafing you might call
1t. We have ended the loafing CT
locomotives, the loafing of cars and
the loafing of men. Any manufac
turer who allowed his goods to Loaf
In the factory as things are allowed
7 10 lOdI OH sue anu III Tdll
roads would run into ruin quick"
whats the matter with railroad
organizations" he was asked.
Exploitation, exploitation" was
his aneswer, grasping the oppor
tunity for paying his respects to The
banking element which he holds re
sponsible for most of the evils of ouI
| economic system.
"All business has too many stock
holders who never do anything hui
! injure the business and draw dowI
dividends" he continued. Railroad,
have not been operated with the view
to giving service. They have beer
operated for the purpose of exploit
/ tation and to deliver the percentag,
OF gain which absentee stakeholder,
must have.
Greed Produces Evils.
| Increased rates and increased
fares-how much of that cry we hear
from the carriers who are all prompt
ed by the irrepressible love of gain
The poor simpletons do not know TIA
the fundamental In making money l.
| to serve. II they would decrease the
rates and add to che service they
would make money.
But they do not see that. They
pour In more money to perpetual,
their bad methods. Money never mad,
efficiency. One thing we are learning
today is the failure of money as
substitute for common sense and con
centrated work.
The ID. T. a I. was for many years
n dismal failure merely because 4
failed to serve, When teceivershi IN.
came one after another they pointe,
TO Its running from some remote spo
on the Ohio river to a spot near De
troit through unproductive territor,