The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-28
GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF
RAILWAYS.

In the concrete, and in terms the
average citizen who is not a traffic
expert, will understand, what does IL
mean? What changes will it bring
in transportation service? What
will be its effects?
President Wilson has announced
that the American plan will be
modelled closely on the British plan,
with one important difference. In
America the government will pay its
freight charges directly. In Great
Britain the railways carry govern
ment freight free, although in the
end, Of course. the government or
the shippers must pay.
German railways arc wholly state
owned. and any comparison with
German roads 1t not apt.
In Great Britain, railways were
and are. privately owned, and they
were built primarily for commercial
purposes, not for purposes Of military
strategy as the German roads were.
As early as 1871, Great Britain
planned for government control in
case of war, and a committee was
formed and prepared sealed instruc-
tions. On the day that war was de-
clared, Great Britain took over her
railways with the exception Of those
in Ireland. The lines remained in
private hands, but the managers
opened their sealed instructions and
thereafter worked under orders Of
the central war board. The govern
ment did not bother with details, but
told the railway managers what was
to be done, and then looked to them
to do 1t.
The government, for example, told
the railways that they were to trans
port the expeditionary force, 10000
men, and all It's war supplies, to
Southampton in sixty hours. It took
$50 trains OF about 80 cars each in
addition to about 1 200 trains for the
supplies. The railroads made good"
on this job, and they have been
making good" ever since. The gov
eminent meanwhile guarantees the
owners the same net returns as they
enjoyed in 1918.
Virtually the same plan goes into
effect in America today. Secretary
McAdoo viii be director general OF
the railways, and under him will be
organized a staff of railway experts,
probably drawn from the present
railway war board, the efficiency of
which has been limited by the anti
trust laws Of the nation, but which
already has gone a long way toward
combining the roads and operating
them as one.
The government win tell these men
what is expected Of them and will
guarantee that the money to do it
with, will be forthcoming. 1t is then
up to the railroad heads to deliver
the goods.
The actual changes noticeable to
the general public, probably will not
be many at first. One change will be
the elimination OF many solicitors
for freight and passenger business.
They will no longer be needed.
Another change will be a sharp re-
duction in the salaries Of some Of the
executives, and the savings made in
these directions will be used to in
crease wages of operatives.
Pooling of cars can be carried to
lengths not possible now and the cars
viii be sent where they are most
needed. With the power conferred
by the Priority bill, the director gem
eral can control absolutely the rail-
road traffic Of the country. If he
says coal is to be moved ahead Of
all other commodities, 1t will be so
moved. If certain commodities are
not to be moved at all, they will not
be moved
Great economics in service may be
expected. For example. four COM
peting roads run approximately
twenty passenger trains a day be-
tween the Twin Cities and the Head
Of the Lakes. II half that number
will accommodate the traffic, only half
win be run. That is but one of
thousand such cases which might be
cited.
If the ore roads OF Minnesota have
several thousand ore cars lying idle
during the winter months, they can
be sent east to handle coal.
If the roads need new equipment,
they will not be forced to go begging
for funds to provide it. The money
for needed equipment win be forth
coming.
Much Of this work is already un-
der way the general public would
be surprised to know how closely
idle cars are watched, even here in
Fargo. II an empty box car stands
iii the Yards for more than a few
hours. there Is government agent
wanting to know why. In future,
there will not only be such a govern
rnent agent asking questions, but II
the box car Is needed in Florida or
washington more than in Fargo, 1t
viii be sent there. This pooling"
of cars ID one OF the most important
factors. Under the old plan. II a car
Sc wheat were shipped BY the North
trn Pacific road to New York. for
example. that car had to be returned.
- quickly as possible. to the North