Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-30
Order Is Issued to Immediately
Remedy Congestion in New
York City and Chicago
Freight Yards.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
IS FREELY PREDICTED
BrOtherhOodS' Demands for
Forty Per Cent Pay Increase
Now SQuareIy Up to United
States,
BY MORNING Joo=sAu SPECIAL LsAsso VIA.

IsY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wlarI
Washington, Dec. 20. Definite
steps toward national unif1caton of
railroads and Improvement of con-
gested conditions, were taken today
! by Director General McAdoo in the
appointment of temporary staff and
the issuing of his first formal order
directing absolute pooling of all traf-
fiC, common utilization of terminals,
rolling stock and other facilities, haul
| ing of freight by the shortest routes,
and retention of all present officers
and employees
Special instructions were issued for
the clearing of congestion in New
York and Chicago through pooling of
terminals and other traffic facilities
and Alfred II. Smith, president of the
New York Central, was named tempo
rary special assistant to supervise
transportation in the trunk line ter
ritory east of the Mississippi and
north of the Ohio rivers, where con-
gestion is greatest.
Takes Prompt Action.
! Walker d. Hines, of New York, rail-
road lawyer and for many years a
special student of government opera
tion, was appointed assistant director
general pending the formation Of a
permanent staff. The Interstate Com
merce commission was drafted for an
| immediate investigation by it's inspec-
tors of general freight conditions on
eastern trunk lines.
While the director general was
conferring today with number of
railroad heads, Interstate Commerce
commissioners and members OF con-
gress' and planning immediate action
TO remedy faults of Transportation IL
became known that the demands of
the four railroad brotherhods for a
4O per cent wage increase had been
uenled by the railroads and that con-
sequently the labor men had decided
to postpone for probably sixty days
the presentation of their case to the
government. 1t was thought proba-
Die that President Wilson would take
up the labor situation In his address
10 congress next Thursday or Friday
Biames Governments Delay.
congressional agencies went to
work today on the new railroad sit
uation' The senate interstate comm
merce committee at special hearing
GREW from Chairman Hall, of the In
terstate Commerce commission. the
statement that the governments fall
ure to centralize priority administra-
tion was largely responsible for freight
congestion.
senator Cummins, ranking repub-
lican member of the senate interstate
commerce committee, in a conference
with Mr.. McAdoo, expressed the opin-
ION that legislation to prescribe the
oasis or government compensation TO
| .he ROADS would be passed speedily
though not without some opposition
10 the presidents suggestion of guar-
anteeing to the companies the avor-
use earnings OF the last three years.
Suggestions Made.
Inc railroad war board, whose ssry-
ices nave been solicited tempo
iarily by the director general
To-Day presented recommepd,
t,oh Tor speedy moving of freight in
the chicago congested center and
n'aue number of other suggestions
ior economies and efficiency under
the new unification plan. The rail-
road chiefs freely predicted TODAY that
the advantages of the great nor,oon,
peu,i'e system now being developed
mouid soon become SO apparent that
'ie country never would revert to tho
oiu pian OF private control. Thev
even went so far as to predict yery
qiiihitely that government ownershin
as well as control would be a develon.
hhent OF only few years.
| me attitude of the railroad presl-
oehts gave special significance to tbe
lIrst OFFICIAL instructions of Director
General McAdoo, designated 8 .,ordor
u, w, J. teiegraphed today to every
sa,,road executive head. The order
follows: 0'uer
McAdo0's Order.
- All officers, agents and EN-
Ployes OF such transportation svsten,s
may continue In the performance ~
sheir duties, reporting to the same of.
ticers as heretofore and on the same
terms of employment.
z. Any officer agent or emp,ovo
eeslIihs TO retire from his employ
lteht snail give the usual and season.
"oie notice to the proper officer to
'he END that there may be no inter-
ruption or impairment of the trans
portatlon service required for the suc-
oessiul conduct of the war and the
needs OF general commerce.
.. All transportation systems COW
cred by said proclamation and order
shall be operated as national system
or transportation: the common and
national needs being in all instances