| Show RAILROAD PROBLEM QUESTION OF STUBBORN OF THEORY THEOR y mcadoo favors a five year test period in which to prove which Is better government ownership or private ownership wisely regulated under superior authority 41 of federal government by W 0 MADOO aba a railroad problem Is today one of the most if 1 not the roost most important and vital domestic questions facing the american people our welfare and prosperity depend on its proper solution therefore it la Is peculiarly necessary ebsary that the facts re regarding gardin k it be understood clearly that it be settled not along partisan political lin alnea es nor in deference to the prejudices of 01 any class y that the american people face the issue boldly and dispose of it aa as courageously as they have always alays done with every basic problem they have had to meet let me say immediately that I 1 have no pet theory to advance in discuss discussing lil the settlement of the railroad question A the pre present ent time I 1 am neither an advocate nor an opponent of government ownership but while my tendency Is against government ownership and in favor of TH a wisely re regu reu u private ownership under tinder strong federal control I 1 am frank to say that I 1 am not afraid of government owner chip ship should experience gained by an adequate test prove that it Is the best solution of the problem we are living in a new day in america the world orld Is throwing off old we must do what seems best in view of ascertained facts regardless Rs of preconceptions I 1 favor faor a five year test period because I 1 believe its results will tell us convincingly which la Is better government ownership or private ownership wisely and adequately regulated under 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 ad danced by the opposition Is that the roads be continued under government operation for the twenty one months period after the war aar as provided by the present federal control act and that during that time remedial le leals Is lation there is an utter lack of agreement on the details of such le legislation isla be enacted to return the roads s to their private owners there are two tuo reasons why such a course seems to me impossible first the roads cannot be operated si recess ully tully under the present act for twenty one months with the prospect of thir return to their owners at the end of that time approaching nearer every day and second no adequate aad fair Te remedial medial legislation can be obtained that time in of the political situation and the lent laek of crystallization liza tion of the thought of the nation is s to what Is the best permanent solution in discussing these two points I 2 must be frank for tho amr american rican people are entitled to frankness this Is their problem and they are going to bottle settle it sooner or later vil whether lether certain interests want them to or not the most serious obstacle to going on with the present system of federal control under existing limitations while lle the congress tries to work ork out remedial legislation Is that of morale some purposely blind people appear to think this an idle argument pu put ifor forward ard to bolster up a plan they do cot not know the situation no 1140 man can ervo serve two masters face stubborn fact the railroad officials and slid employees sf f the united states are only human it if they see the end of federal control approaching approach lug with ith their positions and their future the constant subject of partisan political contaoi versy and with an entirely differ different tnt system of 0 control which will vitally affect each individual employee i about to go in effect they naturally cannot work ork etli with It li undivided thought and at the highest point of efficiency they will be thinking inevitably of the interests of the private owners whose amplo employees they will soon become and they will pay less and less attention to the government officials ope operating ratin the roads where 04 tho interests of the private owners owner sand aud of lie the government clash as they unavoidably will in many cases employees employee i A hesitate which interest to serve contusion confusion and lack of efficiency are bound to result this Is not theory this la Is a stubborn fact that must be faced already signs of the difficulty are beginning to appear with other forms of industry this might not be so serious but tha the prosperity and even the lives of millions of americans depend upon the discipline and efficiency of the american railroad machine it would be a dangerous experiment truly to play an organism merely tor for fear of a it bugaboo or for partisan political purpose or advantage then too were the effort made to continue the present control under ex fating lating legislation the railroads from a physical standpoint might stand still vr or even deteriorate during the twenty one months period without the cooperation of the railroad corporations it is difficult under the present law to carry forward improvements or to obtain needed equipment already many iw 0 o ja I 1 att of the railroads are resisting purchases of necessary equip equipment ment for their account many of the necessary improvements such as joint terminals while bile of great benefit to the public are not relished by some railroad cor corporations po rations for competitive and therefore selfish reasons such improve merits ments would result in great economies without which it probably would ba be impossible to reduce passenger or freight rates during the twenty one months period it Is impossible to tarry carry forward an adequate program of improvements and to demonstrate those ope operative rathe economies economics which will nill cheapen transportation in a shorter period than five sears must keep out of politics I 1 would prefer not to mention polities politics in connection with this problem because primarily it Is an economic question but we must not be blind the american people have been discussing the railroads for generations almost every roan man in public life has gone on record on some phase of the subject in 1920 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 the heat beat or r passion of 0 partisan politics it must be dealt with in the calm of an inter presidential election period some sime of 0 1 the he ap opponents ouen 0 1 01 I th the suggested five year extension of federal control n appear paea r to jo do so an on the ibe ground that the operating re rev denues during the year 1018 will be insufficient to pay the rentals guaranteed to the owners they forget that most of the wage nage increases graT granted ted to emp took effect january 1 2 1918 whereas the increased passenger and freight rates did not go into effect until six months later it increased freight and pas rates had gone into effect january 1 1918 at the same time as the wage increases there would have been no deficit they also forget thab tha the government took over the roads hell they were completely paralyzed and when the greatest congestion of traffic in their history was upon them it cost the government millions of dollars to clear up the congestion and get the railroads running again efficiently they also forget that blizzard follo followed Ned blizzard and that it cost much money to overcome their effects they torget forget too that the price of coal of steel and of other supplies was far above normal during the past year these added expenses all would have 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 part year would have failed utterly and the deficit would have been greater thlin under government management economies can be effected under peace t and with a period of five years of federal control assured it should be possible to main tain existing N w ages and working condl condi eions and to effect such economics economies that reductions in rates both ger and freight ought to follow within a reasonable lime time unquestionably economies can be effected under fled control that cannot be practiced under diversified control already the extra charge of one halt half cent a mile for riding in sleeping cars imposed as a war measure has been re removed mosed and other restrictions enforced by the war are tire rapidly dimp disappearing unfortunately some of the opposition to the proposed five year extension Is based on dissatisfaction with service given the public during the war it Is argued that conditions have been bad although this Is not true it can be stated as a fact which cin not be successfully contradicted that service has been greatly ampro improved ted un der federal control in spite of the tremendous demands that the war needs have imposed here again it 1 IR forgotten apparently that the railroads inere w ere placed under government control for the purpose of winning the war ri the he german autocracy the first duty was as to move troops and war mar supplies I 1 have haie yet to hear a sound criticism of the manner in which that pressing war need was met ons of soldiers were moved safely and ex to the seaboard and from camp to camp rood foodstuffs stuffs munitions and other supplies vere rushed to ships at express train speed the american railroads during the past year have functioned for the war mar pur pose po civilian travel und ordinary business while of necessity sity given sec see neary consideration me iane been cared for extraordinarily well in the daill cult circumstances but even in the conduct of ordinary business busine sg the record made by the rail roads shines by comparison with the record of private control in previous years when considered from the stand point of important traffic during the fall of 1918 there was practically no congestion anywhere and we were still at war remember the congestion on the railroads in the crop moving sea sons of 1918 1916 and 1917 toward the end of 1016 conditions became so bad that the interstate commerce commas sim aay A w ilon slon made an investigation As a re suit commissioner mcchord filed a report 11 in which honald be said that mill have shut down prices have advanced perishable articles of great value havo have been destroyed and hundreds of carloads of food products have been delayed in reaching their natural mar lets also that long delays in transit have been the rule rather than the exception and the operations of established industrial activities have been uncertain and difficult became simple matter the accommodation of passengers ers in peace times and the proper attention 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 argue that government operation per se has caused bad service already needed trains are tire 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 the injection of false premise premi sect no will result to the traveling or shipping public by the extension of the period of federal control the question merely Is uli whether ether 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 even it that were possible the roads could be operated successfully economically and satisfactorily pending the discussion by the congress and the country coxin try and especially with the 1920 presidential campaign approaching pro aching neither contingency being possible in my judgment I 1 see no escape from the conclusion that the period of federal control must be extended for five years so that an adequate test of unified operation may be secured tinder under peace not war conditions and necessary Improve improvements meTt s ta terminals and other facilities be made free from sag political influences or the railroads must ae e restored leo le private te 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 tho the government |
