Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-27

they compelled to cancel half or
their usual number OF trains, but
all expresses, dining cars and
drawing rooms were taken off. The
service became so bad that pas
sengers often were forced to stand
for eight and nine hours at a time.
In these circumstances, it did not
take the bus companies long to
realize that their golden opportu-
nifty was at hand. Immediately
they began to advertise the great
er convenience and comfort of mo-
tor travel, and to extend their
tours in all directions until it was
possible for passenger to travel
into any part of England, Scot
land or Wales in one of their We
hicles.
They also established an excel
lent baggage service. the absence
siderable drawback to motor bus
travel. They advertised that they
would allow every passenger on
their cars who bought a return
ticket a certain amount Of bag
gage carried free--usually about
the same amount that could be
carried on railway ticket. This
baggage had to be delivered at the
company's offices an hour before
starting time. There it was loaded
on a truck and sent ahead of the
passenger bus. so that when the
passengers arrived at their destf-
nations they found their baggage
awaiting them.
AS the coal strike continued and
the railroads grew less and less eff
ficient, the popularity of the buses
grew. It was greatly increased,
moreover, by a reduction in bus
fares until they were slightly be-
low the first-class fares on the
railroads. AS a result, the bus
lines were swamped with more
business than they could handle,
while toward the end Of the strike
scarcely anyone was using the rail-
roads except in cases of absolute
necessity when they could not get
bus.
Popularity Appears Permanent
The disconcerting feature from
the railroads standpoint Is that
this popularity appears to be per-
manent. The railroads, now back
to their normal service and sched-
ules, have not recaptured all OF
their old business. Wherever pos
sible. the people seemingly prefer
to use the char-a-banc, which Is
the French term the English nave
given the notorious.
This Is especially true Of holiday
travellers and tourists, who find 1t
more enjoyable to journey along
the open road, past fresh, rustic
scenery. than over the prosaic.
level grade taken by the railroads.
Seen from the char-a-banc, every
mile of open country has its point
of interest-some picturesque VIII
lage, q quaint, o1d-fashioned gar
den, a. weather-beaten church, the
ancient ruins of some mysterious
castle, or a stretch of fine wooded
park. For those who know Eng
lish history and literature, the path
is strewn with reminders of ia
nous characters and events Of real
life and fiction. For others there
is the gypsy lure Of the open road,
which has definitely captured the
patronage of the proletariat. The
British working man regards the
char-a-banc as an invention for his
own special diversion. and buses
crowded with .toilers from the big
Industrial centers are now whiz-
zing all over Great Britain.
The ability of the char-a-banc to
60 anywhere that a private auto
mobile can 60 Is not without its
drawbacks, of course. Places which
have hitherto enjoyed quiet,
peaceful life have been thrown into
sudden turmoil of excitement
and industry, very bewilderiEg and
distasteful to their inhabitants.
Other places which relied upon
their inaccessibility to attract fash
ionable, well-paying guests have
had their chief asset destroyed by
the wandering char-a-banc excur-
sion parties. But the occasional
walls of indignation from these in
vaded districts are promptly
drowned out by the loud-voiced
approval of the majority.
The opposition Of the railroads
has proved unavailing. 1t has be-
come rather intense OF late since
the motor bus companies have be-
come important competitors not
only for the passenger business but
for freight. This is also a develop
ment of the strike, during which
British business men discovered
that they could often ship their
goods more economically as well
as more expeditiously by motor
lorry. When the strike was over
they continued to heed this les
son. SO a large number Of British