Show qa x i 0 e 4 STU STUBBORN J FACT ACT aft 7 McAdoo Favors a five year test period in which to prove which ls Is isbester Better government ownership or private ownership wisely reg ul abed under superior authority of federal government by W 0 MADOO them the railroad problem is today one of the most if not the most important and vital domestic questions facing the american people our welfare and prosperity de depend benMon on its proper solution therefore it Is peculiarly necessary that the facts regarding it be understood cl clearly parly that it be settled not along partisan political lines nor in deference to the prejudices of any class clash that the american people face the issue boldly and dispose of it as courageously as aa they have always done with every basic problem they have had to meet I 1 let mesay me say immediately that I 1 have no pet theor theory Y to advance in discussing the settlement of the railroad question at athe pi present resent time ilme farn I 1 am neither an advocate nor an opponent of go government ownership but while my tendency ls ia against government ownership and in favor of a V wisely regulated private aie ownership under strong federal con control arol I 1 alfrank am frank to say that I 1 ai am n not afraid of g government own ownership er I 1 should experience gained by an adequate test iest prove that it Is the best solution of tbt the problem we ire are alv living in a new day ln in america lAmerl ca the worlds world Is thi th owing rolvin off old shackles wo we must do what seems best in view of ascertained f facts ts r regardless e gard less of preconceptions I 1 fauvor a five year test period because I 1 belleve believe its results will tell us convincingly which Is better government I 1 ownership apor or private ownership wis wisely ely and adequately regulated under the superior authority of the federal govern government men t calls Atten attention tio n to ao problem the recent suggestion I 1 made to the congress for such a altes test under pence condit conditions ions has at least served to concentrate cen attention on the problem many odthe of the attacks brithe on the plan plainly have aye been dictated hy selfish interests te rests othe others ri justas just as plainly are due to misunderstanding the suggestion most generally advanced by the opposition Is that the roads be continued under government operation for the th twenty one months period after the war as provided by the present federal control act an and d that that time remedial legis there Is nn utter lack bt lagree ae ment mea oil on the details of if su such ch jeglia legislation be enacted to return the ahe roads to their private tid owners there are two treasons Trea Frea sons why uch such a course seems to me impossible first the roads cannat lie be s operated successfully under the present act for ovelty tv enty one months with the prospect of their return tal to their owners at the end of that time ilme all appi caching i ni nearer every ft day and second ll 11 no adequate and fair remedial legislation ion can be obtained within that time in view of the po political it situation and the lacks lack of crystallization liza tion of the thai thought I 1 g h t of the nation as to what Is the best per perrean man solution in discussing these two points oo 00 I 1 ants I 1 must be frank tor for the american apo pie ale are entitled to frankness this Is their problem and they lire are going to settle it sooner or later inter whether certain interests want them to or not the most mosi serious obstacle to going on with the pr present system of federal control under exist existing lug 11 limitations mitat ions while the congress tries to work out remedial legislation Is that of morale some purposely blind people appear to think this anible an idle argument put forward to bolster u up pa a plan they do not know the situation noman no man ca can serve two masters face Stu stubborn liborn fact the railroad officials and employees of the united states arfe aeb 0 only human it if they ibey sie see the endom end of federal control rapidly approaching with their positions and their future thi constant subject of partisan political controversy ap and d with on an entirely different system of control will which ch will vitally affect each individual employee emp loye about finout to go in effect they naturally capoot work with undivided tholly ht and at the hleb highest est point of cadency cm dency they will be thinking inevitably ot of the interests of the private owners whose em employees they will soon bc become colne and they will pay less and less ait attention entson ar to the gov government officials operating the roads where the interest of the private wyners owners and of the 90 government vern ment clash a as S they unavoidably will in maby many cases employees will which inhere interest st to serve concu confusion and lack of effle efficiency lency are bound to result this 8 jj is not alleo theory ry this Is a stubborn fact that must b be le faced already signs signi of the di difficulty are beginning to appear alth other forms of industry this might not be so dekl serious ous but the Tro prosperity and even tho the lives of millions lions of americans depend upon alfe discipline and efficiency of the american C in rall railroad road machine it ni would rould bea be a dang rous truly to play with I 1 th e such an org organism aniam merely for fear ot of a bugaboo or for fok partisan political purpose or advant advantage fige then too were the effort made to con continue dinue the present control under existing legislation t the lie railroads from a physical standpoint might stand still or even deteriorate during the twenty without the cooperation one months period oper aaion of the railroad corporations it Is difficult under the present law to carry forward improvements or to obtain needed equipment already many ot 0 the railroads are re resisting purchases chases of necessary necessary essary equipment for th their air account many of the necessary improvements such as joint join tt terminals ermin als while of great benefit to the public are not relish relished edby by some ra railroad cor lons s for competitive and therefore selfish reasons such improvements menti would result in W great roles mies without which it probably would be impossible to reduce pa passenger seager or freight rates during the twenty one months period it Is impossible to carbry carry forward an adequate program of improvements and to demonstrate those operative econom economies ls which will cheapen cheape n transport transportation ution in a shorter pe nod llod than five years I 1 must keep out of politics J I 1 would prefers not to io mention politics in connection with this problem because primarily it ii Is id an economic question bacce but we must not be blind the american american people have hake been discussing the rall railroads roads for generations almost every man jn in public life has gone on record on some phase of odthe tiie subject in 1920 there will be ia a presidential election it 18 idle to suppose that under such conditions if it will bo be possible during thil this sor or the next met congress g 1 ress to secure calm and deliberate consideration oi of the ultimate solution of the problem m much i ueless less a fairand fair and adequate permanent seti settlement lement this vital question muad must I 1 not be setti settled edin in the heat or passion of partisan polities politics it m must i lisi be dealt with ilithe in the calm of an inter presidential election period some of the opponents of the su suggested five year extension of federal con control troi appear to do so on the ground that the operating revenues during the year 1918 1018 will be insufficient to pay the rentals guaranteed to lo the owners they forget that most of the wage increases granted to employees took effect january 1 1918 whereas the increased passenger gei Q and freight rates did not go into effect until n six months later it if increased freight a and nd passenger rates had gone into effect january 1 1918 atthe at the same time as the wage increases there would have been no deficit they also forget forgea that the ibe government took 0 over the roads when they were completely paralyzed and when ahen the greatest gretes tco congestion of traffic in their history bistor y was upon them it cost the government mil millions liolis of r dollars boclear to clear up the congestion and get the railroads running again efficiently t they also forget that blizzard followed blizzard and that it cost best much money to 1 overcome thel their effects they forget too that the price of oi coal of steel and of other supplies was far above normal during the past year the these e added expenses all would have baa e had to be met had the roads continued under private control and to pay for them rates would have had to be increased private operation the past year would have failed utterly and the deficit would have been greater perhaps than under govern government mek management economies can be effected under peace conditions and with a a period of five years of bf federal control assured it should b be epos possible elble to maintain existing w wages ages and anvor working king conditions andio and to effect such economies that reduction 7 in rates both passenger and freight ought bughi to tb follow within a reasonable time unquestionably economies can bb effected under unified control that cannot be arr practiced under diversified control already the extra char charge 9 e of one halt cent a mile fo for riding in sleeping cars imposed as dwar a war mca measure surp has been removed and other by the war are rapidly disappearing unfortunately unfortunate some of the tha opposition to the 66 proposed alv five year extension Is based on dissatisfaction wl with th service given the public during t the hi war it Is argued that candit conditions lons have been b bad ad although this Is if not true it can be stated as a fact w which alch can cannot hobbe be successfully contradicted that service has been lire greatly atly improved under federal control in iii spite of 61 the tremendous demands that the tha war needs have imposed here again it is foi forgotten gotten apparently that were placed under government con control trel for the purpose of winning the war war against the Ger german ravin autocracy the first firk duty was to move troops and war iu supplies I 1 have yetti yet to hear a sound criticism of the manner in which that pressing war need was met millions of r soldiers were moved safely and ex to the seaboard rd and from camp t to 0 camp foodstuffs t and other supplies were rushed to ships tit at express train speed vic the american railroads during the past year have functioned rf tor orthe the war pui ap pp pose civilian chilian travel and or didari business while of necessity given secondary consideration hae been cared for extraordinarily well in the difficult circumstances but even in the e conduct of ordin ordinary arr busin business e ss th the record ricord ladeby the railroads shines by comparison with the record d of lib control in previous years w when lien considered from the stand point olimpo of important traffic during the fall of 1918 there was practically da congestion anywhere and at war remember the congestion on the railroads in the crop moving seasons of 1918 1916 anc and 1917 toward the end of 1916 1016 conditions became so ho bad that the interstate commee CO comtois mint s ion eton mado maddan tin investigation aa 13 it result commissioner mcchord filea a r report in which he bo said that mills have bava shut down prices have advanced perishable articles of great value ba have ve been destroyed and hundreds of car oada of food products have been delayed in reaching their natural markets 11 also that long delays in transit have been the rule rather than the exception and the operations of established industrial activities bauve been uncertain and difficult became simple matter the accommodation on of passengers gera in peace times and the proper attention to the transportation of ordinary freight become a comparatively simple matter once the larger questions tio ns have ave been disposed of no practical just and experienced roan man can hones honestly aly arguo argue that government operation per so se has caused bad service already needed trains are being restored crowded conditions are being remedied rules made necessary by the war are being done away with I 1 touch on such questions briefly in order that there may be no be clouding of the issue by them the injection of false premises no will result to the traveling tave lingor or shipping public by the extension of the period ot of federal control all the question merely Is whether wise ilse and well considered remedial legislation for the return of the roads to private control can call bo be obtained under finder existing conditions within twenty one months and whether even if that were vere possible the roads could bo be operated successfully economically and satisfactorily pending the discussion by the congress and the country and especially with the 1920 presidential campaign approaching pro aching neither contingency being pos possible sibie in my judgment I 1 see no escape from the tha conclusion that the period of federal control mastbe must be extended for five years so that an air adequate test of unified operation may be secured under peace enot not war nr conditions and necessary improvements to terminals and other facilities be made free flee from partisan political influences or the railroads must be restored to private control in the near future to take their chances under the old laws and conditions which governed them prior to the assumption of control by the government |