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Show PROTEST IS ErfTERED BY SWIMS Western Short Lines Not in Favor of Single Federal Fed-eral Director. The Western Association of Short Line Railroads is not pleased with the plan of Director General McAdoo' to appoint one federal director for all these roads. Through Its president, D. M. Swobe, the association has asker the director general to select a manager in each of the railroad rail-road administration's regions to be under the regional director. Such is the information received in railroad rail-road circles here. Mr. Swobe is quoted as saying: One man with headquarters in Washington, D. C, could not possible look after the interests of the small roads of the country. They have, too many varied and local problems to meet, each one of which is individually individu-ally important to the life of some small road. One group may be devoted de-voted exclusively to ore shipments, another to lumber, another to agricultural agri-cultural products. For one man to look after them would mean that he could not give time to their local problems. - The short line situation is different differ-ent from that of the trunk lines, for the latter are interstate in character, where the small road feeds only a limited community. With a represen- I tat iv e of the short lines under each ! regional director, the situation would be relieved because he could give time to local problems. That is why we are asking Mr. McAdoo to change his plans and give the small roads a living chance for existence. Mr. McAdoo thus far has taken over only such short lines as have terminal properties needed by the trunk lines. In the list of those already al-ready acquired only two are in the west the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific and the Arizona & Xew Mexico, both of which have been taken to help the copper situation. Appointment of men by the government to iook after short line interests is looked forward to with enthusiasm by owners of the small mads, who see in such a I plan a means to stop discrimination in ! the distribution of rolling stock and equipment and to insure participation by these carriers in the division of through rates. Their big fear heretofore has been that if the government took over only the big carriers and ignored the small ones The tatter would be rendered almost worthless. |