The Washington times., 1917-12-27
SPEEDING Up
OF FREIGHT TO
Be M'ADOO'S
FIRST MOVE

Within twelve hours after the Pres
dents proclamation OF Government
control Of the railroads the wheels had
been set in motion for the accomplish
ment of the tremendous task which
the Chief Executive outlined.
Important conferences between the
President and representatives OF rail-
road labor were scheduled for today.
and Secretary McAdoo made ready to
receive the representatives of the
roads and discuss with them the hnan-
ciai problems which must be settled.
Most Important OF all, however. was
the explanation that Mr.. McAdoo, in
his new capacity, would devote his in
itial endeavor to the clearing of the
present congestion and the speeding
UP of the railroads in the handling of
freight.
MeAdOo Sees PresIdent.
President Wilson and Railroad-Di-
rector-to-bs William G. McAdoo con-
ferred for some time today arranging
the final details for the taking over
of the nations railroads tomorrow.
Afterward IL was learned that Mr.. Nc
Adoo will devote practically all OF his
time for the next three months to
bringing the railroads up to the high
est possible point OF efficiency. Cues
lions Of detail in the Treasury Depart
ment will be left to the assistant sec
retaries, the Secretary having divided
most OF the work among them in or
der to be free to solve the railroad
problem.
Sends for Rail Heads.
Railroad presidents and operating
executives were hurrying to Washing
ton today from all over the country.
They had been sent for by Secretary
McAdoo to confer with him on ways
and means. While the Secretary &C
tuaIIy will not take over the roads
until noon tomorrow to all intents
and purposes he already was in con
troll today.
From sources close to the Secretary
IL was made plain that he had no
radical shakeups in mind. On the
contrary he expects to utilize all
officials in their present positions.
His Immediate Job is to speed up
operations, and this It was stated can
be done.
The heads OF the raiIFoad brother
hoods were in the city early today
ready fer their conference this after
noon with the President They seem
I'd well pleased with this latest de-
velopment, and IL was expected that
after they had talked with the Presi-
dent they would issue a statement in
dicating their position. 1t was eX-
pected that the general demands for
wage increases would be settled in a
manner that will be satisfactory to
all concerned.
To Simplify Methods.
gimpIihed methods will be put into
force right from the outset. All pri-
GRITTY orders will be abolished. Here
after . general plan OF expediting
freight will be followed. which will
make priority orders unnecessary ex-
oept in cretain instances. Hereafter
all trains will move full wherever
possible, and there will be no contin-
uation of existing conditions where
certain roads are completely congest-
ed while others are moving train aft
er train OF empties with no freight
furnished to NIL them.
Mr. McAdoo will outline his plans
very shortly. As has already been
pointed out in these dispatches, he
will utilize to the fullest extent the
present personnel OF the railroads.
The committee Of operating vice
presidents. who have accomplished
great things in the last three weeks
in untangling the congestion that
had resulted from the indiscriminate
use By all Government departments
Of priority orders. will remain on the
job. And for the first time these men
will have a free hand 70 utilize all