STREETCARS AND BESSES

STREETCARS AND BESSES I saw the first horse CAR LINE constructed in Gloucester, and later one of m.v first jobs was to work on changing that horse car line into an electric line. I lemember being greatly thrilled by taking my wedding trip on electric street cars with various changes. Fifty years ago the en tire country was honeycombed by ELECTRIC CAR lines, most of which have been discarded. The early promoters of these electric lines made a lot of money: but v hen automobiles came most of them lost their money. This change brought about the development of BUS TRANS PORTATION botli within the cities and between the cities. The only way most electiic car lines could compete with automobiles was by ripping up their rails and opertaing on rubber tires. As a resutl, the public is now getting better service from these busses than they ever had from street cars or horse-drawn hacks which developed into motor-driven taxis. In the meantime, RAILROADS were forced to greatly improve their service with faster and air conditioned trains. TRANSPORTATION CONDI TIONS TODAY 'I ansportation is no longer a luxury. I cannoj understand why the Interstate Commerce and various State Regulatory Com missions are kept alive, except to give political jobs. Not only are all the means above competing with themselves, but the TRUCKS and PRIVATE AUTO MOBILES are competing with all of these other different branches of transportation. Furthermore, the airplane is constantly carry ing more passengers and more freight. The next step will be to the helicopter. In fact. I have re cently bought a high, flat-roofed