Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-09-30
Why NOT CONNECT WITH
THE FLYER?

The honor OF being assigned 10 tho
! Pine Tree Limited was won by
Maine employees Of the Boston "
Maine. Now if Maine may have a
Maine Central train to connect with
this flyer between Portland and Bos-
ton she will be getting the recogni-
!, tions she deserves. Is it too much
to assume that, the railroad so might
secure better public recognition OF
the really inestimable value of its
service?
It Is true that recent railroad re-
ports Of earnings show that these
are derived from freight rather than
from passenger earnings; neverthe-
less a service which affords conven-
fence to those who supply the freight
should not be inconsiderable.
=. The new flyer has been put on be-
tween Boston and Portland notwith-
standing the facilities for communi-
cation between those cities were al
ready apparently greater than the
traffic demanded. 1t was within the
power of the railroad, however, safe
" to transport passengers between
those centers more quickly than
might safely be done over the high@
ways. The public is speed-mad, but
: It Is not yet ready to build speed
boulevards for motor buses and
hasn't the price for flying transit at
present. Meanwhile the railroads
have an opportunity to meet that de-
mand for speed better than may
otherwise be done.
While a limited between Bangor
and Portland might not be able to
make time equal to that of the Pine
Tree flyer, or rather might not find it
advantageous to do so, rendering
more general service, it undoubtedly
would be an accommodation that
many would appreciate. Whether
this number might be sufficiently
large as to be profitable may only be
determined by the experiment. It
should be the kind Of service that
would be fertile for growth in pa
tronage.
There undoubtedly has been lack
of appreciation on the part of the
public for the service which the well
managed railroads have rendered.
This in some degree is attributable
to the prevailing craze to ride on
rubber. That craze, now that the
novelty is gone, now that congestion
causes delays and increases hazard.
is appreciably lessening. AS one has
said: riding onSthe train is now the
more exclusive way of travelling" It
Is not surprising that under certain
conditions railroad arrangements
have resorted to motor buses. They
are taxpayers and the money of tax
payers is going into the up-keep of
the highways SO why not get that
advantage, while the getting Is good.
It may not always be so good. This
is not saying there is not a legitimate
demand under certain conditions for
the motor Dus; we do not think, how
ever, that the time has arrived for
scrapping the railroads but for MAX
ing them more popular and service
able. 1t is easy for us who do not
bear the responsibility of scraping
together the money with which to
pay dividends to tell the manage
L.
pious, however. that methods in the
management of most affairs have
undergone a change in recent years
that is noticeable and it would not
seem that the railroad would be
much different in that respect. Cen
orally speaking those changes have
not consisted in curtailing service
but rather in improving and extend
ing it.