Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 115, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1920 — HINES WARNS ABOUT RAILROADS ON RETIRING [ARTICLE]

HINES WARNS ABOUT RAILROADS ON RETIRING

Washington, May 11. —Transportation service for months to come “less satisfactory” that during federal control was forecast tonight hyl Director General Hines in what he termed “valedictory comments on the general railroad situation before the National Press club. He counselled the public patience and co-operation by the corporate owners and labor. Without these, he said the prospect of successful restoration of adequate service was materially lessend. Mr. Hines plans to retire as director general next week, and therefore, he said, he could speak with “a reasonable degree of detachment” with respect to the railroad problems. ' The principal problem is the : broad question of financing. Mr. Hines said. He estimated the an-1 nual needs of the roads “conservatively” at 11,000,000,000 for new equipment, extension of facilities and the general rehabilitation of the properties. Need of a rate structure which would put the roads on a self-sus-taining basis was described by the director general as of “supreme importance.” “With an enormous volume of business insistently offered for transportation,” Mr. Hines continued, “with a long suspension of the normal increase in facilities and equipment, with continued hesitation in making beginnings in that direction, and with a breaking off to a considerable extent of unified practices which prevailed during federal control, the public must be prepared for unsatisfactory service. I strongly advise the exercise of patience and good temper in putting up with a service that, especially as measured by the volume of freight traffic moved during the periods of heavy demands, and promises to continue for some months to be, less satisfactory than was rendered during federal control.