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Show HIDES DENIES ' i Mi OHKS , ii FORMER DIRECTOR GENERAL DE. NE3 THAT GOV. FAILED TO MAINTAIN EQUIPMENT Charges That Government Made All I NecWsary Repairs and Turned h , , j. Rolling Stock to Owners In Good 8hapo Washington AsserUons that tho railroads were turned back to their owners after the period of government control In n "broken down" condition were refuted Tuosdny by Walker D. Hhies in. a statement-before the Inter-state Inter-state commerce committee, In which tho former djredfor "general of railroads rail-roads said he believed the government had "substantially ou'nmiintiilncd the cojiipmenL" of lliu,,nnvds.i Mr Hlnos told Hie comuilttco as v witness lu Its general railroad -lnqitlry that reports nt. tho end of federal .control showed locomotives to lie In "distinctly better' condition than 'at' tho beginning 'and tho condltlonof fiotght'rurs to "com- phro fnvorably" with the tinier II ttitist be remeniDerod, 1io rtihied, that both c(iulpni(ntH 'wcro'ln "exc'c'odlngl'y poor" cohilltlon at tlio ' beginning of fcdentl opcrutl8ti. 'Although there had been some shortage short-age of maintenance In rails, cros ties And ballast on somo'roiyls, Mr. Hlncp said, this had been 'greatly exaggerated"- In' the general discussion. There xould lle'tto" better proof of tho condition condi-tion of tho i-bnds vJieli" I timed fiuck, the" former director genera"! said, Than -unprecedented V6ltuin3,r ab business twliloli thoy begaii to' lumillo " wltlflh four months of that'tlme." 1020. without' Jio asserted, any marked Improvement' hi thQ cpmUtlon Of jtlfcir rolllng-Btock. j Keeping the efficiency of1 labor urn iler government control, tho only true basts for which,, he said, after tho change to tho-elghtyioiir day, ivas the nunibor of "man hours paid fori'Mr. IUnes declared. t)iMrrfJc -uplts of ioVvicq per man hour; hn.tl loorca&pil from 82 In lD15to fllii JOLT uiui, 11X10 and 100 lu X01D, "(Iiub jfhQwIngpiorp uplts petMiinu hourrthiuT over leforp. In" Vji!0, ho said" the liguro Imjl peqn Increased to 101. Quot'lng from the jcports.,.of, regional re-gional directors for 101? andJOJip, Mr, Hides said these showed a "vigilant and efficient performance of the pub. lie sorvlec and u satisfactory handling oC the ibusIncBS under peculiarly difficult dif-ficult conditions." |