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Show Would Not Return Lines to Private Ownership Until New Laws Were Made. NEW SITUATION Does Not Favor Government Ownership, But Some Form of Control WASHINGTON, Jan. 21. Director . General McAdoo told the senate inter- : H state commerce committee today he , H thought tho government should retain t'l operation of the railroads for some j time after peace comes and not return i IH them to private ownership until new ! ! and comprehensive laws had been en- fll acted to govern them. Ill Director General McAdoo denied ll that he bad anything to do with the fuel restriction order. He said he ap- J proved of the order and thought it F fl would be very beneficial. I M Would Retain Roads. ft "It should be borne in mind," said h Mr. McAdoo, "that by the end of the ;! H war the public and shippers will be 4 accustomed to dealing with the gov-ernment gov-ernment and I am convinced that a lll thorough time should be given at the end of the war before the railroads are lI turned back to their owners." il An entire new situation, he thought, tll would be faced when peace came that would have to be met by new and I -jH comprehensive laws and that it would be injurious to the stockholders to Hfl throw tho railroads back Into private operation without first adopting "com- s iH prehensivo and rational legislation." H ll This, he thought, would take time. "Do you personally believe in gov- j ,H ernment ownership," asked Senator Watson. j Should Have Government Control. ' "No," replied Mr. McAdoo, "but I do i believe It will be impossible to turn I the roads back to their owners under j exactly the same system by which J 'H they were operated when the govern- T ment took them over. There must be 1 some form of government control " $ Senator Watson asked if the rail- roads, under government control, lil would not continue to operate under jH their old management except for H orders given from time to time by the director general. ii'H The fundamental principles of oper- 1 ation have been changed by orders al- 1 iH ready given, Mr. McAdoo said, and j others are in contemplation which .H change entirely the routing of traffic. Irl Mr. McAdoo indicated, however, that j if weather conditions Improved that it might not be necessary for the fuel j .H order to remain in effect as long as i jH indicated. He declared the transpor- W tatlon situation was being greatly im- proved and that the entire fuel prob- 4 lem could be worked out so that his ll jH office could offect a better distrlbu- |
