Milford chronicle., 1938-07-15
Don't Take 1t For Granted

4nG AttIdBt ptEHuA slhhch AaAAEOd4
service for granted because he has
always been able to get It when be
wanted IT, He can't conceive that
anything could happen to the rail
roads that would interfere with the
service he is used to.
He will use motor transportation
over publicly built highways; he viii
use boat transportation favored with
publicly built and maintained facil-
titles; he will use airplane transpor-
tation that depends for terminal ia
cilities upon publicly built airports,
and he will enjoy the public high
ways in his private automobile-but,
when storms block the roads; when
fogs stop the airplanes, and when
inland waterways and steamship
lines are tied up. he turns to the rail-
roads for transportation as natural
ly as he puts his window up at night
for ventilation.
The fact that the railroads exis-
tence is threatened by every known
form Of subsidized and unregulated
transportation never enters his head.
He overlooks the fact that, unlike
their competitors, the railroads are
so stringently regulates in every
phase of their activity, even to the
management of their properties, that
the only thing they are left free to
do without restriction, is to pay their
enormous tax bills to city, county,
state and federal governments.
The average citizen who runs
meat market. clothing store, saw
mill or farm, would throw up his
hands in horror If IT were suggested
that 48 state legislatures, our ma
tiOnal House of Representatives and
United States Senate. the Interstate
Commerce Commission and upwards
of 4S state railroad OF similar regu-
latOry bodies, were to take over the |
functions of management Of his
business, as they have the railroads
set the prices he could charge for |
his wares; limit his profit. if he was
able to make any, to starvation |
figure, and prevent him from discon-
tinuing Improbable operations if he
saw fit.
The average citizen would kick
like a steer at such an arrangement, /
but he calmly watches merchants,
lawyers. doctors and what not who
are elected to public office, proceed
to take over the management Of the
railroads without a dollar of invest
ment on their part, without, in most
cases, the slightest knowledge of
operations, and without any
for damage they do
through ignorance, or Incompetence,
10 the welfare of the public and the
of millions Of citizens in
property. The net result to-
day, after a generation Of such pO-
Iitical management of the railroads,
IS that they face bankruptcy.
The average citizen does not real
lze this. His railroad service is still
The railroad worker
won't believe that such catastrophe
could happen. But unless our po-
itical attitude toward the railroads
s changed, and unless railroad men,
'ather than political appOintees in
positions, are allowed
more liberty in running the rail-
'oads. we will find ourselves with
tut railroad transportation such as
We have been used to, OF with some ,
orm of government ownership that
will saddle us with debts that will
make the present federal deficit look
Ike chicken feed. Railroad employ
es will find themselves working for
he government and, instead of deal !
ne with railroad arrangements, they :
1ill have to deal with Congress and
tate legislatures, thus hamstring- :
ag their freedom to strike or nego- :
late regarding grievances-they will
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