Show PROBLEM naf OF I 1 STU STUBBORN N OF THEORY mcadoo favors a five year test Is better government period in which to prove which h ownership or private ownership wisely regulated under superior authority of 0 federal government by W Q L MADOO the rau railroad road problem Is today one lne of the most it 1 not the roost most imbor tant and vital domestic questions the american facing people our welfare elfare and depend oa 0 U ita its proper solution therefore it la a necessary nece satry smAry that the acts facts regarding it be under understood clearly that it be tet tied not alone along partisan political lines nor in reiKa tu the prejudices prejudice of any class that th american people face tte tile issue boldly and dispose of it it aa as courageously ly as they have always done with eiery basic problem they have had to meet lt let rae me say immediately that I 1 have no ua pet jhc thc theory ry to advance in discussing the settlement of the railroad qui question A the present time I 1 am utu neither an advocate nor an opponent of goy coy eminent ownership but while hile my tendency Is against government own wan ershig and in imor of a wisely liely ngu fated private ownership under strong federal control I 1 am frank to say that I 1 bin ain mot not afraid of government onnel ownership should experience gained by an adequate test prove that it Is the best beat solution of the problem letu we are ity 11 ine ing id lif a new day in america the world Is li throwing off of old hackles klei we roust must do what deelii abst in view of ascertained facts regard regardless levi of pro pre conceptions I 1 anvor a five year test wit period because I 1 ballf believe ve its results result III tell us convincingly which Is letter better govern ownership or private own oun e reole widely and adequately regulated ander 1 the superior eu authority oc of the federal government calla attention to problem the recent suggestion I 1 made to the tongred ton gresa for euch such a test under peace pence conditions has at least served to con cen attention on the problem many of the attacks on the plan plainly have been dictated by in teresta te rests ets others just juit as plainly are due to the suggestion most generally ad danced by tile opposition Is that the roads be continued under government operation for the twenty one months nion tha period after the war or as provided by the present federal control act and that during that time remedial legis lation there Is an utter lack of agreement on the detail of such legala tion be enacted to return the roads to their private owner there are two tuo reasons why euch such a course seems to me impossible tin fant t the roads cannot be operated fully full y under the present act for twenty one month months with the project of their return to their owners at the end of that time ipe nearer every day and second no adequate and fair remedial legislation can be obtained althin that time in view of the kni situation and the lack of crystal illation of the thought of the nation as to what ia Is the best bt I 1 solution in theme two points I 1 roust must be fruck for tb tho american people il are entitled to fran frankness knewL this Is their problem and they are going to title settle it sooner or later whether lether cp c tain interests Inte reeta want them to or not nol the most serious obstacle to going col an a with the present ittem of federal control under existing unit limitations taff chile t the he congress tri briw to work ork out remedial medial ze legislation Is that of some bluml people appear to think this an idle argument pot put forward to bolster up a plan they do cot riot know the NO 0 man visa can CRU gerve face stubborn fact the railroad olli ilal and employee employees sf t tda tile united states are only humin humm hum in if they fee see end 0 of federal control rapidly rapid ly approaching approach lug with ith pol post uw ilona and their future the constant con slant oubre ct of partisan political contro bersy and with en an entirely different estem M of control which will III vitally wally affect ench each individual employee a about bout to go in they naturally na aurally work with undivided and nd at the highest point 0 of they alt be thinking of the in of the privat whose they nil soon become be conle and they mill pay les less and iia to the government KOT eminent operating I 1 the road roads where I 1 the he interest Inter cat of tile private owners and nod of the governa government nent hlll ill in cini as they unavoidably will heill tal many cases employees MOO which interest to fe nerve Con contusion fullOm and lack of efficiency are bound to rf ault this is cot not theory this 11 1 1 a stIll tOtO fact that aust be faced already signs of the difficulty are beginning to appear with other f orma of industry y this raught not be jo 0 o ser seri JOUA ouA but the bbl abbl alca ret M tufi ives lives of loll 1011 llone ilona of 0 americans depend tb discipline and efficiency effir lency of the amerl can railroad nia machine blue it would uld be a dangerous experiment ent truly to play for fear bilth uch such an ofa e A bugaboo or for partisan political politics purpose or advantage adran tate made to the then too were continue the pr bent control under ex fro rom M railroads 1 1 the till astl standpoint milba stand alluring the th twenty without the co month period one operation of its railroad d corporation present Is law w tl 0 difficult under the it 1 Is improvement improvements or to ol 01 t forward carry already 1 a I telo iola nefew 4 af of f the tile railroad i are resisting purchases of necessary it for the r account hany many of f the necessary necess arv I 1 improvements euch such a i joint terminals terminal hile of great benefit to the public are aro not relished rella hed by noluo corporations ar po rations for competitive and there tore fare reasons such improve would result in great acono wits without which it probably would I 1 be impossible to reduce passenger or height freight rates during the twenty teaty one month 11 period it Is impossible to carry form forward ird an adequate program of improvement improvements and to demonstrate demonR those operative economies which will cheapen transportation in a shorter pe fiod than five years must keep out of politics I 1 would prefer not to ruen quention tion poll ties tics in it connection with v ith this problem because primarily it Is at an economic question dut but we must not mot be blind the american people have been discussing the railroads rall rouila tor for generation almost every man in public life baa hits gone on record on some phase of the subject in 1020 10 20 there will be a preal dentral election it la Is idle to in suppose that under such condition conditions it will be pos able during this or the next congress to secure calm and deliberate consideration 0 of th tho ultimate sc lution of the problem much leas a fair and adequate permanent settlement tt lement this vital question roust must cot not be settled in the heat lipat or passion of parti partisan an poll tice it mu roust it be dealt with in the calm 1 of an inter later presidential election period some of the op opponents of the sug le belted ted five year extension of fe leral control appear to do so on the ground that the operating revenues during the year 1018 will be to pai u the he rentals guaranteed to mhd owners they forget that most of the wage age increases es granted to employees toot took effect january 1 1018 whereas the increased pasi passenger eDger rod and freight rates lid did not go into effect until six months later it if increased lacre abed freight and paa pas rates hud gone into effect effet jan nary 1 1018 at the tame same time as the wace aze In increases there would ha been no deficit they also forget that the government took over the road roada f aben they were completely paralyzed aad when hen the greatrix gre atrit congestion of traffic lu in their history was upon them it cost the government millions roll llona of dollars to clear up the congestion and get the tile running again efficiently thi alipy y alto forget that blizzard followed blizzard and that it co ct cott tt much money to overcome their effect effects they for rt too that the price pric e of coal of stee steel tin of other supplies Ilex was wits far abor normal during the past year these idled ad led expense w oil 11 would A lifave ba bad had to io be met bed had the roads continued under private control cont tul iol and to ray tor for them rates would have had to be private operation the past year would have failed utterly and the deficit would have been greater ahn than a under government economics can be effected under peace pence and with a period of five years of flekal fl eral control assured it should be to maintain exiting exL tIng wages and working condl bioni and to effect euch sud economies that reductions la in rates both possen ger and end f freight ought I 1 follow within a reasonable tin unquestionably economics can IM bi ed under fled lied control that ft CL be practiced under the extra charge of one half cent a mile for riding lu in sleeping cars imposed 88 a war nii nit asure has been re removed and other enforced by the war are rapidly disappearing dIsAppear lne some of the uon to the be proposed five flye year exten alon slon iq 1 bawd based on with service siren given the during the oar it 11 1 o gued 1 that conditions condl llona have been bad although this I 1 not lot true it can be stated AS s a fact aich can con not be contradicted that service has ba been greatly Lm proved an dr d r federal control in alte ul u the tremendous demand that the war ocels aare have imp wj j ifera again sa it Is U forgotten apparently that the railroads were place under government Rovern ment control for the tur poe e of winnins the war or against the german autocracy the tile fart duty to inove troops and mar ar liel I 1 have yet let to hear beer a sour conrd d criticism of the manner in which that pre ming ing mir war need wae was met ruet of leri were 1 safely ind ex tc the xea bourd and from carlp to Fow latuff and anif other were ere to sher nt at train speed the american railroads daring the past patt year rear have for the war mar pur pose civilian travel and ordinary bun buin estAt titi while bile of hect ity 0 giran 11 andary consideration me been cared ir well in 1 the JIM edit ilok no evea tn in the conduct of ordinary bus loes the record maile made by the rail raft roads nes by comparison comp arlton with the record of control IL au previous pre rlou year years ahrn h considered i from the daod point of important traffic during the tall fall ot of 1918 there was w practically no DO congestion anywhere ind nd we were still till at it wor war remember the oa 00 be the railroads in the crop tang sest 0 one of 1016 1915 and toward the end of iola 1010 condition conditions became 0 so o bad that the interstate Intent ate 1 loo ston made an investigation As a re alt sult commissioner mcchord filed died a report la in which he said that mills have shut hut down prices have advanced perishable articles of treat great value have been destroyed and hundreds of carloads of 0 fowl food products have bien delayed la in reaching reach lne their natural markets alao also that ong delays in transit I 1 have bave been the rule rather than the exception and the operations of 0 exta established bUshed industrial activities havo have been uncertain and difficult became simple simp matter the accommodation of passengers cers in peace times and the proper attention to the transportation of ordinary freight fre leht become a comparatively simple matter once the larger question questions have been disposed of no practical just and experienced man ran can honestly argue that government operation per ce se has caused bad service already needed trains are being restored crowded conditions are being remedied rules made necessary by the war are being done anay an ay with nith I 1 touch oo 00 such questions briefly la in order that there may be he no beclouding of the issue by the injection of false premises no will result to the traveling or snipping plug public by the extension of the period of federal control the que question s tion merely Is whether wise and well considered remedial legislation for the return of the roads to private control ran can be obtained under exiting existing within twenty one riou ine and cheth er even if that were ere possible the roads could bo operated successfully economically and satisfactorily inu prad i nu ing the discussion by the congress and the country and especially with the 1020 presidential campaign ampa tampa ign approaching pro aching neither contingency being possible in my ray judgment I 1 see no escape escapa from the conclusion that the period of fed eral coi trot must be extended for div alv yearn ro to that an adequate teat of unified operation may way be secured under peace pence not war 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 to the near future to take their chances under the old laws and conditions which governed them prior to the assumption of control by the government |