The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-28
MOTOR TRUCK COMPETITION.

ly UeeH AoiSeu to doopI tue uloIoI IhuSh in short haul freight as means of pro- lection against competition from that source, and to supplement their own service. Inroads on traffic which the motor trucks took from the railroads on this character of freight were thus met by the Pennsylvania, the New York Gen. tral and other railroads, which traverse congested sections in territory which has built hard roads, while the Boston and Maine railroad has created department to study motor truck and bus competi- ton with view to adopting such sys- tenn of transportation where practicable.
 Apparently competition from motor trucks, especially in densely populated sections where there are systems of hard roads has caused railroad executives some concern. But it has also caused them to recognize the motor truck as a valuable railroad adjunct to absorb otherwise un- profitable short hauls. The New Eng land railroads have suffered inceasingly heavy losses of business from motor truck transportation. Reports of earn lings of those roads made this fact more evident. The New England roads have had difficulty in keeping themselves solvent, when the roads of other sections have been more prosperous than for many years. The cause of the difference has been that the New Eng land roads have been subjected to sharp CT competition from motor trucks and busses than have the roads of any other sections of the country. New England is thickly populated and distances are short between many large cities. New England has a splendid system of hard roads. The conditions are ideal for mo- tor truck traffic.
 The president of the Boston & Maine railroad, in announcing the creation of the new department, said:
 The inroads of motor competition in
 Boston & Maine territory have been con-
 stantly growing, and have reached the
 stage where the road must determine
 what it's future attitude toward this com
 petition is to be. The question in some
 sections is whether the railroad or motor
 truck can best serve the territory. It IS
 apparent that in certain fields both ln-
 strumentalities of transportation can not
 be considered, and that either one or the
 other must prevail. The railroads can not continue to contribute toward the
 building of highways and their upkeep in order to subsidize form of transpor- tation which is sapping railroad revenue,
 and, in the case of some branch lines, re- fhnUo a1 n nOlQt.
 The fact that railroads are taxed more to build and maintain improved highways than are the trucks which use them for their own profit, does not account for the inability of the railroads to compete with motor trucks in certain classes of freight and in certain territory. The matter of taxes has nothing to do with the situation. The railroads would be unable to com pete with motor trucks in some local hauls and under certain conditions even and overhead which rail haulage cannot though the trucks paid their full share of road taxes. It is a question of rates meet.
 The building of hard roads in many parts of the country, and especially in thickly populated territory, has had the effect of increasing motor truck traffic at low rates. Hence the larger question for many of the railroads to decide is whether they will surrender to motor trucks and busses such traffic as they cannot move economically or themselves go into the motor truck and bus business. In some instances the surrener of motor trucks and busses will mean that branch lines will have to be abandoned, and leave the communities dependent upon motor transportation entirely.
 This question of motor truck transpor- ltation is facing most of the railroads of the country. It becomes more important and more insistent for solution in propor- tion to the progress made in improved highways. The country is making much progress in that direction, and the people are awakening more than ever to the value of good roads. The motor vehicle as an effective form of transportation has proved itself of immense convenience, and the number of people who are totally dependent on the railroads, so far as con cerns short hauls, is decreasing. The new condition promises to demand some diff mite decisions by railroad executives as regards methods of meeting such compe- tition. Obviously, for short hauls the rail roads themselves will more and more em- play motor trucks and highways.
 THE GRECO-TURKISH EXODUS.