Show The Roads Returned I R A l FTER ER twenty six months of government operation I Ithe I 1 the railroads railroad's were handed back to their owners O T in the tho government go with a n deficit of O. General Generl Hines labors hard haid to convince tho the l pu lc that federal operation has lies cost tho tile popl people less v than thian tIan would have e been the case un under er pr private ate control his conclusions are arc difficult to comprehend The Thew he w rates have e been greater geater nn and I the tile people will 1 have havo the 7 deficit to 10 1 pay f- f N Unusual attempts arc C being beng made to show that since since Sice he hc war ithe larg larger r part pait of t the c deficit has hn been due ue to to e. e n a in bu business iness' iness and that there would have lt c J b be beon xi n no deficit in the last six sh months of the tile ye year 1910 1919 hut for frn the hc coal coal strike ike The ThOm l statistics of tho the inter interstate atc f commerce commission do not support this contention l Despite the coal strike the railways eal earned d practically 4 t hi same amount of money mone monein in hi m the last lat sis SIX months of S f that Hint they did in the last six months of 1918 1915 when the lie le business handled was the largest lagest ever known The 4 i total 31 earnings earnings in the last six months of 1918 1018 were 2 while SS earning while in the last six months of 1919 1010 they J and yet et the railways failed in il these ir months by y l to earn carn the standard return j As for the coal conI strike the statistics show it caused T only IIII a Small decline in freight earnings in November and md December when it was wa in effect and that mean mean- k t ll there was a very cr large lage increase in passenger mail mai 0 and ind n c express earnings the result being that the total total c earnings in in November Xo and ond December actually were 10 i larger huger than for the same saIe months of 1918 1018 ii Mr fr lines Hines also declares delare that the roads were not rc- rc wrecked but were in i better beter condition in J l his i i opinion to meet demands f upon them than the they i wO would Id li J havo YO vo been after ater two such strenuous years under private management That rna ma may b be true tre but bitt i i. i is a 1 1 conjecture not of proof I 1 ke hc plain facts fact are tUe c that the he government found it 3 to lake take over ever vcr the roads and operate as asa a r a n war var necessity It J made practicable a transportation v service serce service which could not otherwise have been obtained to meet met the e emergency It cost the ic government some some- some Illin thing less than three quarters of or a billion bilon dollars dolas which can be charged to the thc war and ad it demonstrated perhaps forever that government operation of railroads except a as a n wartime necessity is a conspicuous failure I. I Tho Tue matter mater is S settled d now nov and the tho ho public mn may breathe a few ew sighs of relief not however free fm from thc suggestion of threatened strikes unless the method methodi i in n the neW ne railroad measure for adjustment of la labor or disputes shall prove effective It is to be noted with gratification that the President in his i reto rc- rc ply to th the b brotherhoods advises advise that hat further c lions ns and consideration lon of wa wage e disputes s ought to ty pro- pro ht I e in in 1 harmony with the tile new law |