The Washington times., 1922-12-08

the contrary, embaygoed his ship
ments or denied him cars when
fortunate markets were calling.
Too frequently transportation
failed while perishable products
We're turning from possible profit
to losses counted in tens Of
millions.
know of no. problem exceed.
ing in Importance is this one OF
transportation. In our complex and
interdependent modern ME trans
portation Is essential to our very
existence. Let us pass for the
moment the menace in the pos
sible paralysis of such service as
We have and note the failure, for
whatever reason, to expand our
transportation to meet the na-
tons needs,
Needs Of Transportation. i o.
The census of 1880 recorded .
population OF 50.000,0O0. In two
decades, more we may reasonably
expect to count thrice that num-
ber. In the three decades end
ing In 1920 the country's freight
by rail increased from 631 ,000, 900
tons to 2.234. .00O,0 tons; that is
to say, while our population was
increasing less than 20 per cent,
the freight movement increased
over $50 per cent, ~ .-. ..
We have built 40 per cent Of
the worlds railroad mileage and
yet find ii Inadequate to our
present requirements. When We
contemplate the, inadeQuacy OF
today II Is easy to believe that
the next-few decades will wit
ness the paralysis. Of our trans
portation.using social scheme or
n complete reorganization on
some new basis. Mindful of the
tremendous costs of betterments.
extensions, and expansions, and
mindful of the staggering debts
Of the world today, the difficulty
Is magnified. Here Is a problem
demanding wide vision and the
avoidance of mere makeshffts.
No matter what the. errors Of the
past, no matter how we ac-
claimed construction and then
condemned operations In the past,
we have the transportation and
the honest investment in the
transportation which sped US on
to what we are, and we face con-
'ditions which reflect its made
quacy today, its greater fnade-
uuacy tomorrow, and we contem-
plate transportation costs which
much of the traffic can not ana
win not continue TO pay.
Living IN Motor Age. ~.
Manifestiy. we have need to be.
GIN .on plans to coordinate al
transportation facilities. We
should more effectively connect up
our rail lines with our carriers by
sea. We ought to reap some
benefit from the hundreds OF mil
lions expended on inland water
WAYS, proving our capacity to.
utilize as well as expend. We
: ought to turn the motor truck
into a railway feeder and dis,
tributor instead Of a destroying
competitor. Z
II would be, folly to ignore that
we live ina motor age. The motor
car reflects our standard Of living
and gauges the speed OF our pres
ent-day life. Il long ago ran down
Simple Living. and never halted
to INQUIRE about the PROSTATE fig
ure which fell as It's victim. With
full recognition Of motor car
transportation we must turn II to
the most practical use, It cannot
s,ipersede the railway lines, no
matter how generously we afford
II highways out Of the public
treasury. If freight traffic BY
motor were charged with Its
proper and proportionate share OF
highway construction. we should
fine much Of Il wpsteful and more
costly than like service by rail.
Yet we have paralieied the RAN.
ways. most natural line OF con-
struction, and thereby taken away
from the agency expected service.
much OF ifs, profitable traffic,
which the taxpayers have been
providing the highways, whose
cost OF maintenance is not yet
realized.
Lower Rates Vital.
: The Federal Government has q
right to. inquire into the wisdom
OF this policy, because the National
Treasury 10 contributions largely
TO this highway construction.
Costly highways ought to be made
TO serve NJ feeders rather than
competitors OF the railroads, and
the motor truck should become .