SLURRY LINES AND THEIR ENEMIES

It is a shortsighted policy. In the coming energy crunch, all methods of transporting coal will be needed, and the railroads will be thankful for not having to haul all of it. One of the reasons why Carter's plan of raising coal production by 50% by 1985 will prove empty political oratory is that the railroads are unlikely to have the necessary tracks, hopper cars, engines, or the capital needed to get them, though this is not the only reason or even the most important. (For the others, see Guccione's "Why coal will not be America's energy salvation," Reason, Oct. 1977.) Between disasters due to rickety tracks, railroad executives confidently assure us that they can handle all the coal to be hauled, and we have no reason to doubt them provided the coal miners remain on strike.

Washington clout does indeed work better than the free market for squashing the competition. One slurry line was closed down when the Interstate Commerce Commission approved a separate rate structure for "unit" trains carrying coal, as the OTA study points out. The ICC, as the OTA study does not point out, is your friendly price fixing, territory dividing, porkbarrel awarding bureaucracy that keeps freight trucks empty on return trips at consumers' expense.