Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-04
AUTOS HELD CAUSE
OF RAILS LOSSES
Pennsylvania r. R. Man Says
Competition by Buses
Wrongly Blamed.

The private automobile. not bus COM
petition, is responsible for the steady
decline in railroad passenger revenues.
in the opinion of John F., Deasy of
Pittsburgh, vice president in charge of
the central region of the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
Appearing this morning as the first
witness in the concluding session of the
Interstate Commerce Commission hear
ing covering the whole field of bus OPP
Grafton, Deasy voiced his belief that
practically all of our passenger losses
have been due to private cars
In this viewpoint DeaSy stands In
opposition to the often expressed opinion
In railroad circles that the buses are
the cause of the steady drop in rail
revenues. He explained. however, that
it is his belief that bus lines are getting
only the business that would have fallen
TO electric lines had the latter been able
TO live under present-day conditions.
Winds Up Hearings.
The hearing, which is being held In
the Willard Hotel, is the last of a Ma
tion-wide series inaugurated by ths
Interstate Commerce Commission last
Fall to formulate recommendations FOL
legislation that may be necessary or de-
sirable to accomplish further or more
efficient coordination of motor trans
portation both for passenger and freight
traffie,
1t is being conducted by Ezra Brain
erd, jr.. chairman of the commission
and Leo j. Flynn, examiner, and Is ex-
pected to last several days.
Representatives from more than a
score of rail- and electric lines, bus
lines, express companies, the railroad
brotherhoods, shipping groups and the
National Automobile Chamber of Com
meree are In attendance TO testify.
Future Lies in the Motor Field.
In summing up his testimony, which
took more than two hours. during which
he outlined the scope of the Pennsyl-
vania's venture into the motorized field
Mr.. Deasy declared that co-ordinateo
transportation service Is the goal TOWARD
which the railroads must work to sur
vive.
The future progress Of American
railroads depends on their ability II
provide the most economical and con-
venient transportation obtainable," ht
said. ITO do this it Is essential that the
railroads make available. system Of
co-ordinated transportation which viii
enable the public to utilize the kind Of
transportation it wants-rail, highway
waterway and airway-in the field In
which each can best perform. All forms
OF transportation should be maintained
with a proper return to the operators
Deasy emphasized that motor trans
portation is here to stay. Not only L
1t economical, he said, but 1t also ha:
factors of utility when linked with raj
service.
Truck Routes Profitable.
Trucking routes operated by hi:
road, through private contractors fol
short hauls, are showing profits, he said
and are furnishing improved service tc
shippers. They have the advantage ais.
of doing away with rail routes that ART
being operated at loss, and the further
advantage Of speeding up train servict
by cutting down the number Of SLOW
trains.
The Pennsylvania hopes to speed VI
passenger service in the same manner
by passenger BUSES, he said.
In the end, he said, he believes a CO.
ordination of rail and bus transports.
ton can be worked out that will pro-
vide for the public the cheapest form
of transportation. Already he said, his
company had considered the adviSa-
bility Of an arrangement for long.
distance travel to carry passengers BY
bus in the daytime and furnish then
sleeping Accommodations at night ir
upper berths, but that the plan was
held in allegiance in Difference to OIL
associates"
Deasy also outlined his views as t.
the regulations that should be imposed
on highway carriers in interstate COM
merce, emphasizing they should not bt
Of a discriminatory character.
Safety necessity and financial re-
sponsibility should be taken into con-
sheraton, he holds. He would moi
have private truckers subject to regu.
| lation.
Any regulation should b. based or
equality operation for all, Deasy said