FREEING THE HIGHWAYS 189 



This would repay the railroads for service rendered, 

 and they could not complain. Moreover, and this 

 is important, it would enable the government to 

 classify freight rates as it saw fit. 



Thousands of offices could be closed. Possibly the 

 Post Office Department need only increase its per- 

 sonnel and change the limits now imposed on the 

 parcel-post; for the parcel-post in some countries 

 in Europe will cany a ton of coal or a piano if the 

 shipper desires. But the great gain would not be 

 in these economies, colossal though they would 

 probably be. The great advantage would be in the 

 freeing the nation, in releasing the energies of the 

 manufacturer and the farmer, in making it possible 

 to increase the production of wealth and bring about 

 its proper distribution unimpeded by the conflict 

 which now results from hundreds of roads struggling 

 for their share of the traffic, and for long-haul 

 traffic irrespective of the requirements of the nation 

 as a whole. 



Such an experiment, too, would incite the rail- 

 roads to do their best. It would automatically 

 compel them to effect economies, to develop initia- 

 tive, just as the building of municipal electric-light- 

 ing plants has compelled privately owned plants to 

 reduce rates and improve service to meet the com- 

 petition which the community offered. 



The effect of government competition is seen by 

 the effect of the parcel-post on the express companies. 



