Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31

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tiOnShip between the truck and the
bus and the rail lines. both electric
and steam. will be worked out. giving
each utility the field it deserves be-
cause of economic usefulness. has
been expressed in previous years.
Leaders in the truck industry have
declared over and over again. that
there is no genuine conflict between
highway and rail transportation. and
hay" taken y position Of leadership
III initiating research into this sub
Iect.
Strides by Rail Leaders Noted.
During the past year, however, re
nlarhahie strides hay" been taken by
rail leaders in attempting to work
out plans for co-ordinating rail and
highway service. as advocated in the
past by the truck industry. A grow
ing feeling among rail executives
that their business is tranSporta ton.
using whatever tools best fitted for
carrying persons and freight econom-
ically and comfortably has been dis
played.
Among the rail lines which have
had the courage TO embark upon
large ventures in co-ordinated high
way transportation in 1925 have been
the Boston and Maine New York
Great \othern. Al the beginning of
the year only the Spokane. Portland
and Seattle and the Boston and Maine
Railroad, operated motor husseS. while
al the end of the year some 20 steam
railroads We're operating directly or
indirectly So busaeS. These facts
We're brought ont in the second an
nual survey conducted by the motor
truck committee of the National
yIfn of
This same survey further showed
that 81 steam railroads in the United
States and Canada are now using
motor trucks to supplement their
shipping service as compared with
33 years ago. The survey indicates
that - railroads are planning soon
to use trucks. and that IS are con
siderins the installation Of bus serv-
ice.
Truck and Bus Auxiliarips.
The truck and bus as auxiliaries
OF the steam railroads have u great
future before them. Railroads are
discovering that they can convert
losses on non-paying branch lines
into profits or greatly diminish their
losses through adoption of bus and
truck auxiliary service. either in total
or partial replacement of previous rail
service. When the full story of the
success OF these efforts on the part
of some railroads is known. there
will be developed ii much larger field
for railroad use of trucks and buSSes.
Ii may safely be predicted that Il
large proportion of Short-ha less
than-carload freight shipments and
Of the light volume shorthaul trans
portdtiOn of passengers by the rail
roads will. within a few years. he
turned over TO highway vehicles.
many of them owned. controlled, or
associated with the railroads
Continued progress has been made
in the adoption of the motor bus by
the electric railways. Opposition to
joint operation of both trolley and
busses has virtually disappeared
among traction company officials.
A report from the American Electric
Railway Association as of September
showed that PSI trolley companies
then operated 4.452 busses over II $50
miles of route. BY January ] the
number OF buses so operated had in
Crea sed to 1000, as compared with a
few less than 5000 a year ago.
Phase of Operating Industry.
The use of motor busseS by steam
and electric railways continues, how
ever. to be only a small phase of the
bus operating industry. The number
of bus carriers has continued to ra pid-
ly Increase all over the country, and
has resulted in a network of bus lines.
giving type of comfortable and con-
venient service which is so well ap-
preciated that il is indispensa Bile. A
new type Of buffet parlor bus has