| Show QUESTION OF nr anul abt nut OF r THEORY mcadoo favors a five year test period in which to prove which Is better government ownership or private ownership wisely regulated under superior authority of federal government baw G MADOO the railroad problem is today one of the most if not the most important and vital don domestic lestic questions facing tile the american people our welfare and prosperity depend on its proper solution therefore it is peculiarly pecullar Iv necessary that the facts regarding it be understood clearly that it be settled not along partisan political lines nor in deference to the prejudices of any class that the american people face the issue boldly and dispose of it as courageously as they have always done with every basic problem they have lave had to meet let me say immediately that I 1 have no pet theory to advance in discussing the settlement of the railroad question atlie athe present time I 1 am neither tin an advocate nor an opponent of government ownership but while my tendency is against government ownership und and in favor ot of a wisely regulated private ownership under strong federal control I 1 nm am fr frink frank ink to say that I 1 am not afraid of government ownership should experience gained hy by an adequate test prove that it is the best solution of the problem we are living in a new lay day in america tile tho world orld is throwing oil old shackles we aust do what seems best in view of ascertained facts regardless of preconceptions I 1 favor a five year tet test period because I 1 believe its results will tell us convincingly which is better government ownership or private ownership wisely and adequately regulated under thu the superior authority of the federal government calls attention to problem the recent suggestion I 1 made to the congress for such a test under peace conditions has at least served to concentrate cen attention on the problem many of the attacks on the plan plainly have been dictated by selfish interests te others 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 twenty one months period after the war nar as provided by the present federal control act and that during that time remedial legislation there is an ail utter lack of ngiem agi cement on the details of such legislation 1 I be enacted to return the roads to their private owners there are to reasons why such a course seems to me impossible first the roads cannot bo be operated successfully under the present let act for twenty one months with the prospect of their return to their owners at the end of that time approaching nearer every day and second no adequate and fair remedial legislation can he be obtained within that time in view of the political situation and the lack of crystallization liza tion of the thought of the nation as to what is the beat permanent solution in discussing these two points I 1 must bo be frank for tit clift people pole peole le are entitled to fian frankness kness tilts this is their problem and they are arc going to settle it sooner or later whether certain interests want them to or not the most serious ob obstacle t icly to going goin 9 on with the present sy system terii of federal control under existing limitations while the congress congre 3 tries to work out remedial medial rr legislation Is that of morale some purposely blind peoble appear to think this au an idle argument put forward to bolster up a plan they do not know the situation N no L 0 man can call berve ONO masters face stubborn fact the railroad and employees employee s of the united suites states are arc only human if they see sec the end of federal control rapidly approaching with their positions and their future the constant subject of Pal pait isan political ersy and with an in enli ent icly liely S system steni of control whit h will vitally vit illy a affect afe ct each individual about to go in effect the naturally can cannot not work with ith undivided thought and at thu the highest point of they will be thinking inevitably ot of the interests of the Iiii vate owners whose employees they will ill soon be become conle and they nill ill pay less and lebs lass s attention to tile the goern government ment operating opi biting ri ting the roads whore the inte lesu of tile the private oneia on ii anil and of the go eminent clash as they unavoidably will in many cares employees wilt ill hesitate which N 1 in terel to con contusion filmon and lael lack of elli clency are ana bound to result thib is liot theory y ty thib is ii i i a i stub stubborn horn fact that must ili br raced faced ali ah duji ignis of the lUli lilli culty aro are beginning to appear with other flims of industry tilts 1111 glit not lie be so bu ilous but the pro and uc cen alle thes of millions 0 it americans upon the dibel discipline pline and in of the hie american railroad macninch macaline it would tie be a bangt 1011 giuly to play alth ith mich buch an organism inertly for real fear of a bugaboo buo atigo or for parti bim bun political purpose or advantage advant aso then too were the effort fiade ide to conti continue continua nuu the present control under existing legislation the railroads filin a 1 physical standpoint might stand or even deteriorate during the twenty one months period without tile the c cooperation 0 of the rUll railroad road corporations it Is difficult under the present law to carry forward improvements or to obtain needed equipment already man many 01 0 the railroads tire are resisting purchases of necessary equipment for their account many 0 L the becis necessary sary improvements such as joint terminals while ot of gre greit great it benefit to the public are not relished by some railroad corporations po rations for competitive and therefore selfish reasons such improvements would result in great economies without Niti lout which it probably would be impossible to reduce an passenger sanger or freight rates during the til twenty enty one months period it Is impossible 0 to carry foiw forward rd an adequate program of 0 improvements and to demonstrate those opel operative active economies which will cheapen transportation IR in a shorter pe fiod than five years must keep out of politics I 1 would not to mention politics in connection with this problem because primarily it is tin an economic question but we must not be blind the american people have been discussing the railroads for generations almost every man inan in public life has gone on record on some ome phase of tile the subject in 1 1020 20 there will be a presidential election it is idle to suppose that under such conditions it will be possible during this or the next congress to secure calm and deliberate consideration of the ultimate solution of the problem much less a fair and adequate permanent settlement this vital question must not be settled in tile the heat or passion of partisan polities politics it must be dealt with in the calm ot or an inter presidential election period some of the opponents of the suggested five year extension of federal control appear to do so on the ground that the operating revenues during the year 1918 1018 will ile be insufficient to pay the rentals guaranteed to the owners alicy forget that most of the wage increases granted gi anted to employees took effect january 1 1918 whereas the increased inci inc eased leased passenger and freight rates did not go into effect until six mouths months later if increased freight and passenger rates had gone into effect january 1 1918 at the same saine time as the wage increases there would have been no deficit they also forget that tile the government tool took over the reads roads when they were completely paralyzed tin and balien wn the greatest congestion of traffic lit in their history was upon them it cost the government millions of dollars to clear up the congestion and get t the lie railroads running again efficiently they alo forget that blizzard followed blizard mil that it cot cost much money to overcome their effects they forget too that the price of coal of steel and of other supplies was far above normal luring during the past year thew these added expenses uit ill would have had to be mot had the roads reads continued under private control and to pay for thern them rates would have had to be increased operation the pit year would have failed utterly and the deficit would have been greater perhaps tha than n under government management Econ economies ornies can ec be effected under peace pe ace conditions ons and with a period of five 1 ive years of federal control assured it should be possible to maintain existing wages and voi king conditions and to effect huch bucl economies that eliat reductions in rates both passenger and frei freight clit ought to follow within a reasonable time unquestionably economies economic can ile be effected under unified control that cannot be pr practiced under diversified control already tb the e extra charge of one half cent a mile for riding in sleeping cars cars imposed as 1 a war measure has been removed and other restrictions enforced by the war are rapidly disappearing unfortunately home of the opposition to the alic proposed rive five year extension is based on oil dissatisfaction with tit demice sen ice ghen agnen tho the public luring during the OIL war nar it Is argued that cc editions ions ba have ve been bad although this is not true it can lie be stated as a flet fact which vi liell cannot be successfully contradicted that service has been greatly improved under federal cont control con liol iol in pito of tile the tremendous demands that the needs havo have imposed Im here angain it 1 forgotten apparently that tit the railroads were placed under government control for the purpose of winning the wai against the german autocracy the first duta dut was to move troops and wal wai supplies I 1 have yet to hear bear a 1 sound f or of the mannor manner in v which liveli that thai pres pressing ing nar need nna was mot Mill loll t ur were moved safely and ox ex lir to the ho iid and jo amp izama to cump foodstuff aind I 1 othar supplies feie a tf t haps af ac pr train tr peed th american k 1 neriman rall roin ls lurin the pol war lim for the war pur pop Civill in nn travel and ordinal bu bunos avs abile of 0 necessity given ser see andary hau hac been care carrai 1 fur for extraordinarily estra ordinarily well in the tit d I 1 ai cult but even in the conduct of ordinary business the m made ade by the rall rail toads shines by comparison with tile record of private control in pre previous bear cara when considered from the standpoint of 0 important traille traffic during the 1 fall all of 1018 there haq wa practically no congestion anywhere any here and we were till at ar remember the congestion on the railroads in the crop moving s seasons ea of 1910 1916 and 1017 1917 toward t the he end of conditions condl tlona became so bad that the interstate commerce commis slon mado tn an investigation As a re suit CM commissioner missioner mcchord filed a report in which w aich he said that mills havo ba 0 shut down prices have advanced perishable articles or of great value have been destroyed and hundreds of carloads of food products have been delayed in rc reaching ching their natural markets also that long ions delays I 1 in tra transit have been the rule rather than tho the exception and tile the operations of established industrial activities have been ajen uncertain and difficult 11 became simple matter the accommodation of passengers in III peace times and the at tendon to the transportation of ordinary freight become a comparatively simple matter once the larger questions have been disposed of no practical just and experienced man can honestly nestly argue that government operation per he be has caused had bad service already needed trains are being restored crowded conditions are being remedied rules made nece necessary by the war nar are being done away with I 1 touch on such quell questions briefly in order that there may be no be clouding of the issue by the injection of false premises no will ivill result to the traveling or shipping public by the extension of the period of 0 I 1 federal control the question merely is whether wise and well considered remedial legislation for the return of the roads to private control can be obtained under existing conditions within twenty one months and whether C r C even v C n it if that were possible the roads could bo be operated successfully economically and satisfactorily pending the discussion by the congles congi esq 91 and the country and especially with the 1920 1020 presidential campaign ap preaching pro aching neither contingency being possible in my judgment I 1 see no escape from the conclusion that the period of red fed ertil ml control must be extended for five years so that an adequate test of unified operation may b be secured under peace not war inar conditions and necessary improvements to terminals and other facilities be made free 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 tile the assumption of control by the government |
