Evening star., 1933-05-21

% Funded Indebtedness has in
creased about 40 per cent since 1910.
go The all-commodity index in 1882
is 10 per cent below that of 1910.
90 Revenue freight tonnage has de-
creased approximately 80 per cent since
1910.
(O Farm products index has de-
creased so per cent since 1910
(8) Methods of transporting freight
have increased in efficiency and ca
pacity approximately IS per cent since
1910.
Background OF Problem.
Keeping In mind the above funda-
mentals. it might be well now to review
certain historical phases of the trans
portation situation. Transportation, like
other things in history, and to a smaller
extent in our own country, is primarily
a subject of evolution. We must realize
that railroads replaced and supplanteo
the oxen, the wagon trains and the
canal boats In the transportation fleld
and that now they have been replaced
In certain phases of the transportation
field by the advent of the automobiles
trucks, pipe lines and airplanes.
The interurban electric railways have
come into existence and are disappear
ing-a victim of evolution and the
march Of time. The electric railway:
are not at this time part OF any
major necessary transportation struc-
ture. and to that extent they became
economically parasitic, as are the un-
necessary and needless main and branch
lines. The electric interurban railways
therefore. are disappearing from the
transportation field. Having nothing to
feed on but themselves, they are, there
fore. dying.
Reviewing the facts shown above, We
are confronted with the inevitable con-
clusion that our transportation facill-
ties are not only oversupplied, but fool
ishly SO, and to disregard this con-
clusion is to indicate blindness to the
economical possibilities OF the sltua-
ton. When We take into condera.
ton the general efficiency OF the new
system over the old 1t but accentuatea
the picture.
To maintain all the new means OF
transportation the people must pay IN.
creased charges or some of the old
transportation facilities must be cur
tailed or discarded. II railroads or por-
either through their own efficiency or
additional facilities, then to that extent
they must be discarded. BY "supplant-
ed through their own efficiency" ]
mean that one line of track in the old
DAYS hauled 1000 tons Of traffic day.
It now will haul 5000 tons, due to
larger cars, larger and faster engines,
increased automatic devices and heavier
rail. The need for the old number OF
tracks has disappeared and they should
be dispensed with or discarded. II this
is not done we will have structure
burdened by parasitic. non-paylng rail-
roads and branches which must newt
ably bring destruction to the whole
structure. An increase in rates may de-
fer the cataclysm certain time, but
not for long.
Functions Have Changed.
1t is becoming apparent that certain
functions of our railroad system have
been supplanted and therefore should
be abandoned, certain functions have
been curtailed and other functions
increased. The change in personnel
and savings incident with this abandon
ment and curtailment are but a logical
sequence and when made in conjunc-
ton with the main functions they be-
come elemental 1t is the maintenance
of the abnormal and unbalanced trans
portation conditions which is the cause
of the major trouble In the transporta-
ton field. Savings incident to the SAL
aries of officials, laborerS, trainmen,
etc. sink into insignif1cance when con-
sidered in connection with the abnor-
NAL wastefulness in connection with the
major phases.
Trying to maintain railroad trans
portation system covering all OF the
phases In the field. When certain phases
have ceased to exist merely indicates
a blindness that must lead to catas-
trophe of a major extent. Take the
passenger-carrying field as an example.
To close our eyes to the fact that auto
mobiles and busses carried 1877 1000, ,000,-
600 passengers one mile in 1920 and
359 600. 900 900 passengers one mile in
1880, while railways carried 47,OOO, ,000,-
600 passengers one mile In 1920 and
$1,000. .000. 900 passengers one mile In 1880
and airplanes carried practically no pas
sengers in 1929, yet in 1882 over l00,-
000, 900 passengers were carried one mile,
is binding ourselves to the fact that
the carrying of passengers as q major
something radical is done and done
quickly. Passenger fares must come
down. The day Of large passenger ter
minals and their attendant ticket oflces
and personnel Is gone and they should
be curtailed to meet the conditions that
now face them.
Take the freight carrying phase OF
the railroad transportation. This Is
generally divided into long hauls and
short hauls. heavy and light trafic. The
short hauls and light traffic have dis
appeared for the railroads. The only
excuse for stations miles to Is
miles apart, Is short-haul freight and
passengers. Trucks and automobiles
are now performing this function, there
fore the need OF stations closer than IS
miles and their attendant personnel
CONTINUED on Third Page.)