Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04


The netC and the old in locomotives.
AbOUe, a modern passenger train OF the
B. &c o. en- route in the Potomac RiUer
Valley. At left, the no,c famous '.Tons
Thumb
ST don't think we have that element in the
business to the same extent now, although
we do have the element of handling cars on
which a small down payment has been made
and If it breaks down on the road. blows tire
having got their money, the driver beats il
and leaves the car standing with the passengers.
IT had one Denver outfit that came to US
desiring to have depot accommodations in our
motor passenger depot. On investigating him,
he admitted finally there was no business going
East at that time of the year, that the business
coming West was heavy, and that in lieu Of
providing return loads he found he could buy
a car cheaper in Denver than he could here.
he bought a secondhand in Denver.
according to his statement loaded it with pas
sengers. brought it to Los Angeles, sold the car
and didn't have to make a return trip"
A N official of the Travellers Aid Society In
Los Angeles told Of another plan of de-
frauding the public ard declared the situation
had created real social problem.
"Our Office received a letter from the Trav-
elers Aid in Omaha" he told the commission,
asking our assistance in securing redress for
Mr.. and Mrs. Balthes. They had bought trans
portation between here and Chicago on motor
bus for $45 apiece. They were taken as far
as Omaha and there they were dropped at a
hotel at six O'Clock in the evening. The driver
said he would return at nine o'clock.
He didn't come back at all. So they were
stranded financially, and they had to pay so
much more for their hotel bill than was repre-
sented to them The society assisted them in
securing transportation on East to their des-
tination, and while they were doing that they
were obliged to stay in Omaha for several days
at the expense of the public. Omaha asked
us to investigate at this end of the line where
they bought their transportation, and we COM
suited the city commissioner and found he had
no jurisdiction. We were referred to the dis
trict attorneys Office. They had already had
complaint against this same man and on in-
vestigation found he had sold out all his ma.
chimes and had disappeared overnight They
had an idea where he was in another State,
but because they had no funds to carry on the
investigation outside of the State, they were
obliged to drop the case.
'"This is typical of any number of cases that
come to our Office, and because we apparent
ly can find no one who had Jurisdiction in
such matters, we are obliged to let them drop"
The welfare official was asked If she had
heard of instances in which drivers abandoned
cars and passengers outside the city limits.
yes, sir" she said. :" that is not a bit un-
usual. We nave had cases where operators
have picked up interstate passengers, taken
them to some point, not necessarily out on the
desert but that seems to be where it happens
the most, and abandoning them. We have
cases where other operators have taken pas
Sengers to some town and put the car in
garage, and the operator disappears. The pas
senger is stranded"
THE City of Dorchester, Mass, in 1912 petit
toned its representatives in the Legislature
to "use their utmost endeavors to prevent IL
possible, so great a calamity to our town as
must be the location of any railroad through
it."
But the railroads were not to be SO easily
thwarted, nor did they prove to be so calami-
tous as their critics feared.
The analogy may be applied with propriety
to the motor bus, which has emerged from its
swaddling clothes into gigantic youngster
of Uncle Sam
A commission of the American Bankers
Association estimated that after IS years of de.
velopment the investment in motor vehicles
and hard-surfaced roads exceeds by $5,0OO,-
900 the total investment in railroads after
100 years of development.
No one doubts that the railroads win con-
tinue to be the backbone of Americas trans
portation system.
But it is recognized, at the same time, that
the motor coach and motor truck have estab-
lished themselves as indispensable adiuncts.
if not competitors, Of the steam train, and that
the time has come for their coordination under
broad Federal supervision and control.
13,e Ia sasttaa Haa e t,fs