Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-30
RAILS FIGHT
INROADS MADE
BY AIR Lines
Automobiles Also Are
Source of COMPETE
ton For French Line
Operators

PARIS, Sept. 2s.=F-French
railroads Lsve felt the first shock Of
competition with air transport de-
velopment, and they are convinced
that they must fight for their ex-
istence.
Conditions in France are q fairly
accurate picture on a small scale OF
conditions throughout the world due
TO the revolution in methods Of
transportation from the stage coach
and railroad to the automobile and
airpiane.
Higher rates and increased traffic
will give the French roads a possible
increase Of one billion francs for the
current year. Such figures, how
ever, are treacherous because OF the
confusion in the nations finances
The figures showing the rapid in
crease IN bus and airplane lines are
much more definite.
The railroads are fighting the
buses BY establishing autobus lines
~ their own. This marks a new
phase in the struggSa and makes 4
possible to forecast that the example
~ United States railroads will
eventually be followed in the matter
OF cooperating with air transport en-
tcrpriscs. !.
small automobiles for small
nurses have made great ravages IN
roads. The companies themselves
the passenger traffic Of French rail
admit it at the same time that they
seek d solution. A partial remedy
N the reduction Of freight charges
IN small automobiles in order 70 ~
courage their owners 70 travel ~
train to the country Of their vaca-
lions and take their automobiles Dy
train, too.
But the solution does not seem 70
prove very tempting 70 car-owners
Highways lead 70 all parts Of France
and distances are not very great II
Is ~pleasanter { o ride in ones own
car.
The autobus is notwithstanding
traffic conditions in the country
AS in England, the spread Of bus
services from villages TO towns and
cities has gone on at a formidable
rate. Country is opened which the
railroads hardly touched. Even re-
mole districts have their buses, and
these buses Get business
Touring in a hired automobile is
now a favcrite pastime with tourists
Peorle who have visited France be-
fore like TO get off the beaten track
and see something more Of the coun-
trvside than is visible from n train
window. For these the hired auto
mobile offers an infinite diversity Of
tours and landscapes, more privacy
and a sense Of luxury which tourists
are not slow to appreciate.
The use Of ~alTplanes IS constantly
extending in scope, but the figures
for freight and passengers are not
vet particularly impressive
All the same, IL is notable that
you can now 60 10 spend your week
on the Basque Coast by airplane,
"A new air service from Paris 70
Bordeaux and Biarritz ~ function
ing regularly since the beginning 81
July.
This Is the first time Paris has
been linked BY air with southwestern
France. The new line makes con-
n~cctions at lie Bourget with the
French airpianes Of the London 70
Paris service. Thus it is possible TO
20 BY air from London to Biarritz
with a stop to change planes at lie
Bourget.
Ship-planes now meet Cunard
liners at ~Cherbourg and convey
travellers direct TO Paris. If this
custom is extended, as il probably
will be, another big bite will be
taken out of railroad profits. Many
passengers already prefer automo-
biles 10 special trains for the trip
from transatlantic ~se1s2orts TO Paris
Air traffic at lie Bourget, Frances
principal airport, has not yet as
sumed impressive proportions, but II
is developing. Most Of it is on the
Paris-London lines. You can 90 al.
most anywhere in Europe from lie
Bourget. When travellers get the
habit Of j~ourneying by air, the big
European expresses will have a new
and dangerous competitor.
Another ancient rivs4 Of the rail
is giving railroad men cause for
worry, too. Activity on Frances ex-
cellent system Of canals is increas-
ing. The Canal du Midi, built in the
time Of Louis XIV and linking Dor
deaux with the Mediterranean, is
taking freight away from the South
ern Railway IN alarming proportions.
a real rate war Is engaged between
them, in which the railroad has been
the heaviest loser up to the present.
The Seine and Marne rivers, the
canal from the Marine 70 the Rhine
and smaller canals continue their
Flooding steady way. Recently the
river Rhone was extensively ins-
proved 70 increase barge traffic At
the expense Of the Par:s-Lyon-Nedi-
tnrrnnean railway