The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-04
VITAL IMPORTANCE
 OF RAILROAD ISSUE
By HOLLAND

New York, September 3.-(Special) Railway managers, notably those who are members of the railway war council, so-called, hesitate and frequently de- cline to speak for publication upon the railroad situation. In private conversa- ton with those in whom they have con fdence they are more outspoken. All Of them making it clear that they look upon the railroad situation as possibly the most important immediate factor in war preparation. They are also per suaded that whatever may be done now l to relieve the situation will remain in part at least if not entirely, the law ] of the land so far as the railroads of 1 the United States are concerned.
 | Frank A. Vanderlip and President Rip 1 ley of the Atchison railroad have been quoted as saying that it is their con viction that government ownership is in- evitabe. Quotations of this kind, how ever, should be accompanied with modi- 1 fled or explanatory remarks. MT. Van l derlip does not believe that government | ownership Is inevitable unless certain 1 factors and influences that now prevail are modified and unless the law of the i land is so perfected as to make possible excellent cooperation between the rail roads and the people on one hand and on the other equal cooperation with the railroads on the part of the people.
 | President Ripley is suspected of passing l in part his forecast of probable if not ! inevitable government ownership of the | railroads upon the relation of the vast body of railway employees of the United States to the railroads. If that pug zling proposition can be satisfactorily
 met then the probability of government ownership of the railroads might be- come remote
 1 On the other hand the suspicion is be- coming each day stronger and stronger
 that the able men whose influence domi-
 mates the various railroad employees
 unions are now occupied with such labor organization strategy as will make in- evitable government ownership for
 some if not all of these leaders are con vinced that under government owner l ship labor of all kinds throughout the 1 United States would sooner or later be- come a predominant factor in the legis- i lation adopted by Congress whereby government ownership can be perfected, THE QUESTION OF POOLING 1 Pooling is no new thing. It was adopted nearly 70 years ago by John M. I Forbes of Boston. MT. Forbes was, if
 not the creator, at least the real builder | of the Michigan Central railroad The volume of transportation which was of | Iefeu tO ms road aIter MT FOfDeS put
 the terminal at Chicago. was so great 1 as to prove an irresistible temptation 1 to New York capital MT. Forbes ob- tained his capital in Boston. This New York capital was invested in the build- i ing and operating of a railroad whose
 eastern terminal was at Buffalo and the western one at Chicago. It ran almost
 parallel with the Michigan Central al- though it's line was south of Lake Erie,
 while the Michigan Central was north. ] When the road was completed it's man. ] agers were convinced that competition
 was the life of trade for railroads as well as for other business. Competition upon a staggering scale was maintained
 It went so far that 1t became evident that it might bring both roads to bank 1 ruptcy.
 | Then MT. Forbes suggested the pool l His plan was adopted. Competition that was suicidal ceased and both companies l became prosperous. At the time of the civil war 1t was necessary to perfect certain cooperation between the rail
 road companies which involved a form