Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 290, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1918 — KEEP RAILROADS FOR FIVE YEARS [ARTICLE]

KEEP RAILROADS FOR FIVE YEARS

SHOULD PERMIT FAIR TRIAL OF GOVERNMENT OPER- .* ATION.—McADOO. * r ' , .... Washington, Deo. 11.—Continuance of government control of railroads for five yeans, or until January 1, 1924, was recommended today by Director General McAdoo, in a letter to the chairman of the senate and house interstate commerce committee. This would permit a fair trial of government operation, said Mr. McAdoo, and eliminate the unsettled condition under’which the railroads must be . operated during the next year or two if their status is not changed materially by legislation. This recommendation is not made in support of any theories concern.ing the best ultimate policy of running the railroads, Mr. McAdoo explained, but only to give the nation time to form its ideas carefully. The director-general explained that it is impossible to retain the roads under government control for twentyone months after the declaration of peace without further legislation, owing to the strain on the morale of officers and employes, and pointed out the difficulty of obtaining comprehensive legislation on the subject soon. ' President Wilson in his recent address to congress said he was unable to decide what should «be done with the railroads and asked congress to take up the question for discussion immediately. He declared that unless action was forthcoming he would be .forced to turn back the rioads to private management. ' ‘ ‘ Acting under this plan the railroad administration has been preparing to relinquish control of the railroads and it was the general understanding that the administration would wait two or three months before actually starting the relinquishment proceedings, to give congress a chance to-act.

Recent developments have shown the difficulty of determining a final policy at this time, however, according wL railroad administration officials. Most railroad owners and-manag-ers are said to 'have urged that the roads be relinquished hut under some sort of remedial legislation giving them power to pool their resources and eliminate wasteful' comeptition. There have been no important advocates of restoration of the old conditions, according to officials,. On the other hand the friends of government ownership have just begun to renew agitation for retention by the government of permanent control and later purchase of the roads’’ properties. When the railroad control bill was enacted, Mr. McAdoo urged that the period of control not be limited to twenty-one months after the formal close of ths war, saying this would not give opportunity for a real test of government management. At that time he expressed himself •as upposed to government ownership. Recently.be again expressed disappointment that government management had such limitations, saying that there was danger of the raalroad.question becoming a political issue in the elections of 1920. This would be unfortunate, he said, because the raM- : road question was purely economic and should not properly entagle with political isues. A conference of representatives of interests affected by transportation will be held tomorrow and Friday at the call of the United States Chamber of Commerce to formulate a statement of principles which may serve as a basis for popular discussion of the nation’s future attitude toward railroads and i other transportation agencies.

The conference will be informal and development of a definite program ® not expected at this time. Invitations to participate 'have been sent to representatives of these interests: Financial, commercial and industrial, agricultural, civic and social, labor, railroad administration, interstate commerce commission, state utilities, steam and electric railroads, express, highway organizations and steamboat lines.