The Lakeland evening telegram., 1922-08-30
Member of the Associated Press.
WHAT is TO BE DONE?

Many newspapers in the United States and in Canada
are giving anxious thought to a problem that has
arisen in modern transportation methods Wherever per-
manent harc-surfaced roads have been built there has
Immediately followed sort of motor bus and motor
truck service for passengers and freight 1t would be
folly to contend that this situation has not been embar
raising to the railroad lines and a of no little
concern to stockholders well executives. In many
centers of population the nroads made by motor bus
service has been of such magnitude to make neces-
sary the cancellation of local trains that hitherto had
done large and lucrative transportation business here
is scarcely section Of the United States that today does
not find railroad lines paracled by well paved highways
over which are operate crowded and motor
trucks loaded with all te light that be piled on
board. One has but to Up position at any point
along our own trunk lines 70 realize that something
to the commercial world has taken place. This traffic
began as purely local proposition but with the building
Of State systems Of highways has spread until there
are indications that within brief period of time there
will be no limit TO the mileage or length of haul
So here is presented serious state of affairs for the
rail lines and one that will have be met in sensible
way And Cannot be met without the cooperation of
all the parties interest and those the public, the
railroads and the motor truck lines Some practical
method will have to be devised to Offset the advantage
in the case of the motor lines and the disadvantage in the
case of the rail lines Invested in rights Of way,
ties and rails are millions Of dollars of capital provided
by individual stockholders scattered throughout the
tire country Ii tock faith and courage in many instances
to put these pioneer development projects through to
cessful completion and in many the returns were
slew in coming. On the other hand see counties,
States and even Tie federal government constructing mod
en permanent types of ghways that being thrown
open to the commerce of the world and certainly that
part of the world lii position to and enjoy this
modern tangible evidence of civilization. The only OBJ
LEGATION has been the payment of modest license fee
which does not begin to cover any fair proportion per
capita of the cost Of highway construction. So here is
a line Of railway with the nght-of-vay, the grade, the
ties the rails and the ballast all supplied by generous
public whose return not the clipping Of coupons but
the satisfaction of being listed progressive in providing
what has come to be a modern necessity.
And how about a solution Of the problem? Canddly
none has been forthcoming up e present time. There
have been suggestions of all kinds, practical and
some thoroughly impractical, but nothing that has i'm
pressed the people being real solution OF course
it is possible impose special taxes and ii there were
enough officials the collecting business, II might be
practical to ascertain Just how many pounds OF freight
were hauled in a given period which certain tax
could be levied. These are all merely suggestions out
of which may eventually emerge plan whereby the
railroads will be protected because it is emnenty unfair
to the rail lines to deprive them Of vast amount of
business without seeing to it that rival transportation
systems are placed equal basis in the matter of
overhead expense Perhaps the very force Of the ad-
vance of motor transportation, keeping pace with the
marvellous highway expansion that is to come to
the United States within the next years, will force
solution none can now foresee.