Show 0 f IN BATTLE f FOR H HRAil RAil Rates in So Some e Cases Lorest Lowest Lowest Low Low- est in in 25 25 Years PUBLIC TO BENEFIT 42 Per Cent Cent of of Passengers Lost to Air Motor Lin Lines s By Dy WILLIAM W. W CHANCE Uni United ed Press Staff Corr Correspondent WASHINGTON Dec 27 D UP UP- UP Th The nations nation's railroads were on on the verge today of declaring a rate w war r on the motor bus bUI and airplane their more ore modern competitors which in inthe inthe inthe the last lilt decade have annexed 42 per pr cent of passenger rail business The Tho campaign finally decided upon by after years years' of ot patiently watching invasion of ot the transportation field in the end probably will benefit n no one ono but the public This I Is the opinion o of one old railroad man mart hero who who- claims to have o witnessed Innumerable rate slashing fights I PUBLIC TO BENEFIT lf With pas ca being cut dr drastically In some c cases ses Ies b becoming tho the lowest O In a 0 qU quarter rt r century a great opportunity will wilt be afforded persons of ot moderate means mean to see seethe tho the country cheaply Tho first move in the forthcomIng forthcoming ing g general passenger rate slashing clashing was made by by- bythe the SU St.- San Louts Francisco which reduced its rates to a a. per mile basis Other western carriers will follow suit BUIt according to C. C J. J McG ire lre director of ot tb the Western Passenger association tion tho the general passenger agent for lines lines- west of the Mississippi river This is expected to be fol toI followed fol- fol low towed lowed d by by- reductions by-reductions reductions on eastern and nd southern lines Railroad me men here vigorously denied do- do riled nied today that fare tare reductions were a rate rato war Rather Bather they said MI it constitutes an attempt on the railroads railroads' part to regain the tremendous volume of passenger traffic l lost st to the tho buses and aIrI airplanes aIr air airplanes I I planes in the past ten years WOULD BOOST BUSINESS The new reduced rates will be pl placed cd in effect in an effort to bring back to the the- railroads the hugo huge amount of passenger business lost to them through bu buS airplane and private automobile competition Uon tion said one prominent railroad man who requested l es ed his name nama be withheld Railroad pass passenger nger traffic has hns declined steadily since 1920 the peak year ear In ten ton years years' the tho carrier car carriers ear car rier have lost Jost 42 per cent of ot their passenger business They have now apparently decided to go co out and make a a. determined effort to regain that business by cutting passenger fares ares Interstate commerce commission statistics disclose that in 1920 the revenue passenger miles Innes operated by jy the country's railroads total totaled d Continued on page g 5 FARES f RES S SLASHED IN NEW BATTLE FOR BUSINESS Continued tram from page pago 1 H ut whilo the tho i tes for tor thia year aggregate but hut i Tho Iho number of or pas pas- carried ten years ago ao was waa while In 1929 tho the figure jiru KU eu only with a a. further I decline 4 forecast cast this for year BUS eus BUSINESS GAINS This compares with an Increase I If f in fit motor bus transportation from from passenger miles mUes oper- oper tec In Intercity service In 1926 to last year with a substantial sub sub- increase looked for tor this this' ear ur In 19 1926 G the number of at pas pan carried b by buses running In Intercity service was about last year yeni preferred preferred pre pre- tho tho- bus to trains Air transport operators operators' to t the commerce departments department's acro- acro i branch reveal a correspond correspond- In Increase Increase-Il iu air passenger traffic In the the- west alone alonci where the rail rail- passenger rates are aro to bo ho cut Writ first tl scheduled transport operators pcr persons ons In tho the first of this year year with business in in- in monthly |