Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-31
.BERNET'S RECORD
IS RAIL ROMANCE
Rapid Rise of Executive Co.
inCides With Van SWer-
ingens' Expansion.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
;patch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May 31.-John j.
Bernet, once a country blacksmith and
telegraph operator, has been first in
railroad news this week. In his career
he rose until he became vice president
of the New York Central Railroad.
ing for a man to head the poor old
Nickel Plate. They offered the job to
Mr.. Bernet. Railroad men stood aghast
when he decided to accept 1t.
But his vision was larger than theirs.
He set to work, rebuilt the road, double
tracked much of 1t, bought new cars
and locomotives, erected new stations
and freight houses, and put new life
into the management.
In 1915 the roads operating reveHle
was 1863 a mile; four years later 1t
was S44867 a mile. Before Mr.. Bernet
got through he paid dividends of ii
per cent on the common stock; which
moved from $35 a share to 5000.
Then the Van Sweringens' star began
to rise. Mr.. Bernet stood behind them
in every move. He helped them in the
Erie and was elected its president; he
helped them in the rebuilding OF other
lines. Tuesday he was elected president
of the Hooking Valley and the Pere
Marquette. He was also elected preSl-
dent of the Chesapeake & Ohio. Today
he stands as chief adviser to the power
full Van Sweringens in the whipping
together of their vast enterprises.
Mr.. Bernet. who is 81, was born in
Brant, Erie County, N. Y. Who's Who
in America" gives him just IL lines.
He is not we'll known to the public.
Regular two-day passenger service,
New York to Los Angeles begins July 8.
The first passengers on this first epoch
making Journey will depart from the
PENNSYLVANIA station in New York, and
will arrive at Los Angeles 48 hours
later. They will sleep on trains at
night and travel in planes during the
day.
Passengers will go from New York
to Columbus by train, and after break
fast in Columbus will board the latest
type Ford three-motored airplane, car
rying 10 passengers. They will stop for
the planes refueling at Indianapolis
and St. Louis. Luncheon will be served
on the plane Immediately after taxing
off from st. Louis. Stops will be made
at Kansas City and Wichita for refuel-
ing Reaching Waynoka, Okla, In the
early evening, the passengers will again
entrain for Clovis, N. Mex, and then
again by plane to Los Angeles.
The matter of fare is important. 1t
is still higher than all-rail fare. The
New York-Los Angeles rate will be
$34450, as compared with 1920 in
drawing room from New York to lbs
Angeles by the all-rail system.
Air transportation probably will not
begin to reach it's maximum until the
fares are reduced considerably under
the schedules now in existence.
Not long ago Morris L. Cooke, Phila-
delphia engineer, was asked by the
Federal Power Commission to make
survey Of electric rates in all parts OF
the United States. The survey said that
electric rates were too high, and that
public utility companies could make
fair profit by selling to the consumer
at cents a kilowatt hour. This finding
is disputed by many public utilities.
The Philadelphia Electric Co., how
ever, has Just announced another re-
duction in the price of electric current
for domestic use in and around Phila-
delphia, which means about 100000
annual saving to its thousands of do
nestle users.
This is the fifth voluntary reduction
the company has made in the last
seven years, and the second for resi-
dence rates.
IN tnlS laLeSC cut, Une rate HrSC Is
reduced from to 6 cents a kilowatt
hour for 108 kilowatt hours used in
three-month period. This is the
equivalent Of SO kilowatt hours month.
Under this rate the first IL hours cost
Sc cents a month, as in the former
schedule, while the next SO hours cost
s cents, a reduction figured at IA per
cent. The third step, or wholesale do
nestle rate, remains at cents.
AS nearly all the domestic consumers
now use more than IL kilowatt hours
monthly in Philadelphia, it is estimated
that more than 90 per cent of all do
nestle users will benefit by the newest
reduction.
Copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper Alliance.)