San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-14
BY WALTER SPLiWN.
Railroad Commissioner of Texas.

Some of the great daily papers have
been carrying series of articles on
Railway Transportation in the
United States" written by Senator
Albert Il. Cummins of Iowa, who is
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Interstate Commerce. These articles
were clearly written and timely. Ger
tainly transportation is fundamental
in the economic organization Of our
country Whatever affects. the rail-
roads is. the direct concern of all the
people, Without transportation ,faeA-
tiles we could not support 100000, 900
people in this country. Adequate and
continuous. service by the railroads is
necessary to the well being of the
American people. e.. ~ o.. .
Among the important current rail-
way problems discussed by Senator
Cummins was consolidation of Amer
lean railroads into a limited number
of systems. So important does he con
slider this matter that he devoted four
Of his twelve articles entirely TO con-
solidation. In fact two other articles
clearly were designed to prepare for
his arguments in behalf of compulsory
consolidation. 1t would then be prop
er to say that he gave as much space
to the discussion of this one problem
as he devoted to consideration OF
all other railway questions. Evidently
Senator Cummins considers consolida-
ton as decidedly paramount among
current transportation problems. More
over. he is recognized as the most pow
erful and perhaps the most authorita-
tive champion of consolidation in this
country. He led the United States
Senate in 1920 TO favor compulsory
consolidation. He was not able to
write the compulsory feature into the
statute because of the opposition of
the House of Representatives From
the compromise came the present
statute providing for voluntary con-
solidation into a few systems in ac
cordance with n plan to be prepared
by the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion. Senator Cummns regards that
as a step in the right direction, but
he still holds that compulsion will
be necessary TO effect actual CONSOLE
dation. Since he believes that grouping
the railroads into few systems is the
one panacea for their ills. he continues
to advocate compulsory consolidation,
and proposes to seek legislation by the
next session of Congress TO bring il
about.
Cites British Consolidation.
From such writer we would ex
pect the clearest and the most convinc-
ing statement of the, arguments In
behalf of grouping our railroads. The
articles certainly are plausible. A
cursory reading without much reflec
ton will almost carry one along tC
the position of the distinguished sen
atOr. But nm examination of the argI
ments is disappointing, and leaves on,
wholly unconvince1. In fact one feel'
after an examination of these articles
that if so earnest and able an advo
cate as Senator Cummins could MAX,
no better showing, surely his position
must be untenable.
TO prove the practicability of con
solidation the senator cites the recen
action of the British government il
effecting n grouping of 40 railroat
companies in England. Scotland an,
Wales into four systems. He men
tons that the consolidation there wa
completed In 1922, as though wha
was done there could and should b,
done here. He does not suggest the dis
similarity Of conditions. The area o
England, of Scotland and of Vale
combined is only SS,745 square, miles
where the area of one American state
Texas, is 265, 500 square miles. Gu
state is about three times as large n
England, Scotland and Wales. Yet Ii
Great Britain we find 42,761, 00'
people. There are 4S2 people to tn
square mile in Great Britain. Their
are eighteen persons to the squar
mile in Texas. If we would take one
half the population of every state ii
our union and crowd them into one
third of Texas. we would have abou
the same density Of population as il
England. In so populous country Il
Great Britain the railroads are NOR
in the nature Of an urban utility.