Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 136, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1919 — SAYS RAILWAYS SHOULD RETURN FEDERAL LOANS. [ARTICLE]

SAYS RAILWAYS SHOULD RETURN FEDERAL LOANS.

Washington, June • 9.—-■ Railroads under federal control should he required to return to the government “as rapidly as practicable” $775,000,000 advanced for improvements and equipment, Director General Hines told the house appropriation committee at his appearance last week, according to the printed records of the hearings, which became public today. “These improvements have been made for the benefit of the railroad companies,” the director general said. They have received a very .important benefit from government control, guarantee of a rental which represented the average of probably the best three years they ever had, instead of having to face, as public utilities throughout the country did, the danger of imminent bankruptcy on account of the great increases in costs. “When yie railroad administration has put in funds with which to pay the railroad companies what it owes them, my judgment is that they ought to be required, just as rapidly as possible, to reimburse the government for these large amounts that ihave been spent and as far as possible to reimburse the government for the amounts which will be spent during the rest of this calendar year. “Our settled policy is that for the future we will make no improvements on -railroad properties unless ! the railroads undertake to finance i them, except in extreme cases where an improvement is absolutely necessary, and where the companies are wholly unable to finance it.”