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Show RAILROAD PROBLEM. If Chairman Cummins of the senate interstate commerce committee is able to solve the railroad problem he will become the most famous legislator of his day. The roads are to be returned to their owners before the end of the fiscal year. At least that is what President Wilson said upon the eve of his departure for Europe last March. Now it is a well known fact that tho properties cannot be returned in their present condition without forcing most of them into bankruptcy and bringing disaster upon the country. At the same time so many different plans have been proposed that there is much confusion in the minds of the people as to the proper course to pursue. The railway executives, the security holders, tho interstate commerce commissioners, the administration officials and many newspapers and publicists, have expressed ex-pressed their opinions, backed up by arguments. Judge Lovett, head of the Union Pacific system, has just issued a statement in which he opposes the consolidation of all the railroads-in the country into a few largo systems and gives good reasons for his opposition. He believes "that the absorption of some of the weak lines by the strong lines, upon fair terms, should be promoted pro-moted and competition in service and facilities should not only be preserved but should be extended." Judge Lovett also opposes the suggestion sug-gestion that the government should guarantee fair dividends on the full value of the railroads and leave the management in the hands of the owners. own-ers. He dons not believe the government govern-ment should take all of the risks and none of the profits. His 'opinion is sound in this respect and he might have added that the people of the country coun-try would not submit to such a jug-handled jug-handled arrangement. Few American citizens desire government ownership or control of the railroads. They have seen enough of it. Yet they have no desire to see the properties returned to their owners unless the interests of the people are properly safeguarded and the continued operation of the roads assured. The problem is a delicate one to handle and upon its solution depends de-pends the prosperity of the country in the immediate future. |