The Washington times., 1915-06-01

During the next session of Congress a
determined fight is going to be made
against continuance and completion of
the big task of valuing the railroads.
Administration authorities in touch
with the valuation work have small
doubt that the fight confronts them and
they are confident that the anti-valua-
ton campaign will fail.
Attack has been directed against the
work from various quarters for several
months past. 1t has been charged that
no useful result could be secured
through this difficult and involved In.
vestigation. and that 1t might as we'll
be dropped before more money was In
vested in It, Even at the last session
there was some display of this attitude.
and it was only in the closing hours OF
had been asked. was finally insured.
after a strong effort had been made to
kill 1t or to cut 1t down to the point
where 1t would have crippled the work.
Some Roads to Support It.
The assault against the valuation
project will be reopened in the next
session; but some recent developments
have convinced those familiar with the
whole situation that the more con-
servatively progressive railroads are
now prepared to support the enterprise;
they are discovering that 1t Is going
to equip them with an immense amount
of data which they need. and in an
official shape that will make 1t most
1t has also been charged that the
completion Of the valuation would in
volve an expense SO large as to make
it almost prohibitive The figure late
ly circulated has been $50,000.0 900. with
the explanation that the Government
would have to stand $50. .000,O 900 and the
railroads $S0.000,000 Of the burden. In
response to this charge. the Interstate
work is carried on, declare that the en-
tire cost Of the work will be about
S30. 900, 900. of which the Government will
pay one-half and the other half will
represent the expense to the railroads
in preparing tho special reports. maps,
records, etc, needed from them.
1t Is added that. instead of taking
ten or fifteen years to finish the task.
the commission now expects to lay the
completed report before Congress early
end of the year 1920
Accurate Data Available.
AS to the item OF expense which the
railroads must bear. 1t Is possible now
to give some pretty accurate data for
the first time. The cost to the Bos-
ton and Maine system for doing all
lts part OF tne work as required, mas
been just about s100 per mile of road.
Projected over the entire country. this
would make the total just about s25,-
OO0O 900 of expense to the roads.
But 1t is exlained by the authorities
that the Boston and Maine was utterly
unprovided with maps. records. etc. Of
the most important kinds. The demand
for these, from the valuation officers.
brought the company to realize Its need
of these things. At the same time; the
| and Is now In the hands of receivers.
| In the readjustment Of It's affairs 1t
| finds that it must have the very data
that the valuation will provide. The
fnanciers who are concerned about re-
organization want to know the same
things that the Government insists on
knowing: and 1t turns out that there is
developing q decided prejudice In favor
of getting these facts with the stamp
Of Government approval on them. They
look better to investors.
This experience of the Boston ana
Maine has impressed good many OF
covered that the Government is. In fact.
paying half the expense OF getting to-
gether for this system vast amount
Of absolutely necessary information: -,
Moreover, when the task Is finished
all the roads in the country VIII have
| that same information. prepared on a
single and uniform basis; facts and sta,
| tistics will be readily comparable, and
tions Of different systems and lines will
be easily determinable.
Most of the railroads are now pre-
pared to admit that they need this In
formation, though they are decidedly
not pleased with the necessity of pro.
viding 1t at this time Of financial de-
preston.
1t has been alleged recently that the
Interstate Commerce Commission az
lately in part reorgsnized. is not in.
terested in the valuation work, nor pre-.
| pared to put its uneIuivocal suppor,
| behind it's continuance. This statemen,
also g very positively denied, snd l,
is added that the commission Is giving
| very close attention 10 tho valuation
work and helping to direct it along lines