The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-16
Uncle Sam To Take
Over Railroads Is
Chaos Persists

Chaos Persists
Pittsburg, Pa. Dec. 15-Americon
railroads must reliver the goods, or
cease to exist ae private enterprises
and pass into the hands Of the gov
eminent. They must help win the
war. If they can't do it under the
present system of private ownership
they will have to do it under govern
ment operation, and, what will likely
follow-government ownership.
No one realizes that better than
do the seven railroads operating ex-
cutives who have made Pittsburg the
directing home of the giant railroad
pool designed to bring out OF chaos.
These men are:
A. w. Thompson, vice-president of
the Baltimore & Ohio, chairman Of
the railroad pool committee.
c. r. Gray, president Of the Western
Maryland.
"A. T. Dice, president Of the Phila-
delphia R Reading.
P. e. Crowley, Vice president Of
the New York Central.
Elisha Lee. acting vice president
of the Pennsylvania lines east Of
Pittsburg.
G. L. Peck, vice president of the
Pennsylvania lines west of Pitts
burg.
A. J. Stone, vice president of the
Erie.
They are the best operating sxecu-
the Mississippi and north of the Ohio
and Potomac. They represent the
38 major railroad systems Of this
division. It has been put up to them
to stave off government Ownership.
But to do that they must solve the
most puzzling railroad problem
which ever faced railroad men.
They must end:
Car shortage; track and terminal
congestion; demurrage difficulties,
including wasteful delays; labor; en-
ploye shortage; car and locomotive
shortage; car loading and unloading
tangles of every description, and
what promises to be their greatest
job. the smoothing Of friction be-
tween the various railroad syste.44s.
1t has been this friction, jealously
and chickering's over the division OF
profits which has done much to gum
up the work of the Railroads War
Board.
The pooling of equipment and the
ShahSS VI LIdShakC dNCOiL1IlOQo~
tons will disrupt generally the or
binary operation expenses and prof
its in fields the roads were accus-
toned to serve before the war. To
adjust these profits equitably and to
each road according to it's
operating cost, some solution must
be found. It is believed the best plan
will be an apportionlnent Of the prof
its resulting from the war business
on percentage based on pre-war.
earnings. :
The war traffic roads have opposed
this plan; the others favored it. That
kept them apart. But the looming
ahead of government ownership has
brought them together They'll try
now. The fear of Uncle
Sam taking the roads is large in the
railroad magnate's mind
He will press efficiency methods
harder than ever. He will treat his
employees, tracks, cars and engines
more carefully. He will slice waste
full competitive measures. such as
crack" passenger trains, fast
freights, concessions to big shippers
in the way Il demurrage charges
and time limits. Some roads prac-
tically will cease to be passenger
lines, excepting for local -accommi-
dation. Others will be one-cargo
lines. There will be lessening Of
consigning to give
frienly roads slice Of freight traf-
fic. Freight will go the shortest
route if the pooling committee think
that is the more efficient way, and
it will go the roundabout way If
that is more efficient.
The pool committee is expected to
extend the Pennsylvania "shipping
day" system for less than car lot
loads. This freight is shipped In
through cars on designated days from
certain district receiving stations Of
the large cities upon that system
and its connecting lines. This plan
has cut the time from Philadelphia
to Toledo. O., 4 1-2 days, and in
Philadelphia alone It has saved as
high as 81 cars a day.
The pool committee win urge ev-
cry railroad and employe to take
gleate1 care in the handling Of rail-
fosd equipment, to guard against
abuse. Within the last
year the efficiency of freight loco
notives had been inc1 eased over seven
per cont by careful handling THIS
neaLs four miles more per day per
erg- nc this year th:n last. The big
roads will be speeded up ever Rode
in th:er own locomotive building
plants
One thing the pool committee re-
CARDS as a hard problem is how to
get the 10000 men it needs, for the
eastern division is that much short in
ran rower. Higher wages in NUM-
ton and other manufacturing plants
drew them from trains, tracks and
Women. more than
at first thought possible. may be
the railroad business.
EAST freight trains must be
largely abolished" says Samuel o.
Dunn, editor Of the Railway Age
Gazette. Freight cars must be load
ed more heavily, and loaded and un-