Evening star., 1935-03-24
The Coordination of
Transport Systems
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Land, air and water transportation
must be tied up together in some
systematic "co-ordinated" is the
word generally uSed-if modern COM
merce and world intercourse are TO
be properly served. This. says the
compiler of a survey on international
transportation problems just issued
by the Department of Commerce, has
become the firm conviction Of the
governments of most of the countries
of the world.
Begun on a broad scale less than
three years ago, general movement
to effect the linking up Of these three
methods of transportation has prog
ressed so rapidly that today such CO.
ordination either is being tested or
approached in substantially every
country in the world which possesses
rail lines" President Roosevelt is
committed to some such plan for the
United States and the co-ordinator
of transportation, Joseph B. Eastman
recently submitted definite plan for
such linking up of services in this
country.
In most countries, says the survey
on railway and highway transpor-
tation abroad" there has been toe
much service. An adjustment of such
service to the actual needs Of the
users is vital. There must BE scrap
ping of some useless service, CO.
ordination Of others and strengthen
ing of still others. At least, says this
study, all forms of transit should be
placed under common regulation.
$50
OF course, there is considerable op-
position to any linking up of trans
portation services into one system.
The air carriers contend that they
are meeting new public requirements.
They insist. moreover. that they should
not be subjected to regulation until
they are more firmly established.
Pointing out that, in almost all
countries outside the United States,
the greater part of the rail systems
are State-owned and often state
operated, this report directs atten-
ton to the greater ease with which
Government officials are able to en-
force co-ordinating measures in coun-
tries other than the United States,
where transportation is privately
owned and operated. In Canada,
which has both publicly and privately
owned rail lines. the Board of Rail-
way Commissioners has recently been
authorized to meet competition from
highway carriers through tariff
changes.
The linking up Of rail lines with
other forms of transportation has had
its most extended test and proved
most successful in Germany, accord
ing to the Commerce Department sur
vey. In that country, as q result of
legislation in effect for several years,
"the problem of transit coordination
has now practically ceased to exist" +"
Representatives of all forms of trans
portation, under a Federal trade
council, have brought about these
results, and this supervision extends
is reported that railway revenues from
both passenger and freight traffic
have increased in Germany.
In Great Britain the movement to
link up transportation lines has been
given much study and encourage
ment. 1t seems there is now smaller
loss in traffic, due to competition and
the decrease in patronage, but the
report indicates that, excluding the
coal movement, things will probably
be better in Britain when the figures
for 1884 are known. In France rail-
way and highway carriers are making
arrangements which are submitted 10
the government for approval. while