The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-23
The Problems OF
Our Generation
B ernar d TRACER Dis
cusses Railroad Prob
lem in Barnum Prize
Contest.
1.-THE RAILROAD PROBLEM
By BERNARD TRACER


The present generation is confront
ed with three types of problems:
Social, Political and Economic. 1t is
in the economic world that we
| most interested. Our lives are mold
ed amid it's intricate activities, in
situations. conventions. ideals and
standards. The manner in which we
handle its multifarious and battling
extent, what the economic world of
tomorrow will be like. It's problems
| are aspects of our industrial system;
they are incidents in the development
Of our economic society. Chief among
present-day problems are those OF
| Railway Regulation. International
Trade, Capitalistic Monopoly. and
| population, but the one causing the
greatest agitation. in the United
States at least, is the Problem of
Railway Regulation.
In a system, continental in extent,
and embracing a varied host of COR
related industrial activities. the rail
road occupies a position of strategic
Importance. Through it. the vast and
| complex gear of the industrial ma
chine is made to run. Its rates, by
| influencing costs and prices, perform
| immeasurably important services in
| the organization and direction of in
| dustry.
1t is an instrument possessed of
| great powers of industrial control,
for through its manipulation Of rates
| 1t can cause industry to flourish or
fade; it can give to Industrial and
| commercial development a natural or
an untoward direction. It is newt
| able, therefore. that we should have
| railroad problem which the public
| through sheer necessity, is compelled
| to keep alive; and which, because OF
the railroads tremendous powers, is
unquestionably of great Importance.
A protracted and unpleasant ex-
per1ence has convinced us that the
problem cannot be solved in terms
nf iO,, ~ l., I,
quite willing to formally renounce so
efficiacious an instrument of saliva
ton; but, unconventiona1ly, we have
little by little discontinued trying to
force the railroads to compete,
One of the most baneful and GER
tain effects of railway competition
has been discrimination. The keen
rivalry for business has led not mere
ly to rate wars and general rate cut
ting. but to discrimination as we'll.
The history of American railways,
and OF our monopolistic industrial
combinations or SO called trusts, di-
vulges no greater evil than that of
discrimination in rates and service
for the benefit of one person. locality
or kind of traffic, to the prejudice and
disadvantage of rival shippers places
and industries.
The motive or stimulus for these
practices lies in the keen desire for
additional business, with it's dispro-
portionate increase in railway profits
Of discriminatory practices cannot be
over emphasized. If our Industrial
life is to reach its natural and most
efficient economic development, there
must be freedom of enterprise and
fairness Of trea tment for all persons
all sections. and all underta kings. In
a sense. transportation is a funda-
mental industry. underlying all 9TH
ers, for it is essential to the conduct
Of all business and goes far towards
determining the directions and con-
duct of all business and goes far to-
wards determining the directions and
conditions of industrial activity. The
item of transportation. whatever it
may be, is one of the elements in all
costs, and the outcome of competi- |
ton between different producers may
be largely affected by any divergence
In railway rates which must be paid |
by each of two or more competitors. |
1t follows clearly that the railroad |
officials who make TRANSFORMATION
rates eercise tremendous power BY
the soundness of their adjustment of |
rates exercise a tremendou power. BY |
with which established rates are OBJ |
served, the railroad may profoundly |
affect-or even absolutely determine |
the Pr osoerity of individuals, of in
dustries, of cities and towns. or even |
of entire sections of the country
BY stimulating or discouragin a |
particular class of traffic they NAV
increase or diminish the Importance |
of industries and the extent of pro-
ductfon of particular articles of COM
merce. thus shaping the direction of |
Industrial activity. BY modifying
their rate schedules in special in |
stances. they may determine the Ioca- |
ton of industries. Thus it is easily |
seen that the task of Kidding our |
railroad system of discrimination is |
in itself, a colossal problem
In treating the Railroad situation. |
three factors must be considered. |
first. the people served. They must |
considered
into manufacturers, farmers. ship |
pers, and other special classes. Rail- |
road rates are absorbed into the |
prices paid by the general consumer; |
road service and in railroad rates.
Second, the operating forces; that |
is, the employees and officials who |
make railroading their Hfe's work.
Third, the owners of the railroads. |
The problem before US is how to |
coordinate these three factors so /
that essential justice is done to all. |
The railroad situation has been made |
SO acute by the arrogant capitalists |
who have regarded the relation OF 1
dollars to railroad service as prim- |
airy, and the relation of the human |
workman to the railroad service as |
of but minor and secondary import |
ance.
Capitals views On this subject must |
be changed to insure efficient service |
in the future. This is of tremendous |
Importance for upon the efficiency of |
the American transportation machine |
prosperity of our nation Our trans |
portauon system must function at the |
highest point of efficiency and at the |
lowest possible cost if we are TO get |
in turn to be able to keep a prosper |
Gus contented and happy population
at home
Railway men never tire of eIucidat-