The Detroit times., 1917-11-10
RAIL WAYS
BLAMELESS,
SAY HEADS
Officials Tell War Con-
ference Why Service
is Curtailed

Addressing goo manufacture
most ~ them members OF the Mich
igan Manufacturers association.
gathered for war conference in The
Detroit Board o. Commerce. satur
day morning. George N Orcutt. of
New York. epresident ~ The Ere
railroad. placed the blame for the
failure ot The railroads 20 meet ain
1.s-s demands made on them in thc
presen, crisis sQuarely on the GOV
ment The manufacturing interest.
0f the country he said. are payine
In relsyed shipping and curtallec
production what they should have
been paying Tor years Ia adequate
transportation rates. which have
been denied the railroads by the
government
FranS IT Alfred. president ~ re
Pere Marquette railroad since the
re-o-gan ization. spoke along similar
lines and answered many questions
Ha asked The manufacturer 20 sup
port the Psre Marquette ia its ef-
forts 90 secure a Is per cent ln
crease in freight tariffs before tne
Michigan railroad commission
The war conference was called oy
the Michigan Manufacturers asso-
citation as an aftermath % the ra-
conai war conference recently held
in Atlantic ClLy Upwards of A score
of Michigan Civlc and business or
ganizatons are represented y g.
Cornelius president of the Michigan
Manufacturers association. presided
ln the morning session Another
session is being held rhis afternoon
and d mass meeting takes place 90
night I'm the armory. Nhcn CHARLES
Edward Russell late of the United
States mission 20 Russia end . fie
quenf contributor 20 The Times and
Senator William Alden smith viii
BE- the chief speakers
Opening the confer nee. Hal ~
smith 0f Detroit attorney for tre
association. explained that its OBJ
iect was the frank discussion 0t fhe
fue, transportation and food prob
lens grow ing oar of the naT VI 0as
necessary, he said 20 look even be-
yond The war and DO prepared 20
meet the p-obioms 'hsi viii present
themselves in the period OK recon
sfrucaon
Thomas p Penn.man. assistant
corporation counsel welcomed tre
visitors on behalf OF Mayor Marx
who is ont of the city He won ap-
piause phen te declared hat the
people % the United States had been
too tolerant of Tho enemies within
its borders. Rh0 have sometime
mistaken tolerance for cowardict
and have conducted themselves ac.
cordingly rio compared hyphenai.
I'd Americans 70 Tho snake thc
Greek peasant found a dared con
altion BY fha wayside. which re.
pardcd its benefactor's min.strator
By stingng him
when YOU meet man who quail
iaee his patriotism n is your duty
10 report him 20 the federal author
ties" Pennlman declared
Mr. Orcutt IN his paper went
briefly Into the history ~ railroad
building in this country. deciarins
hat the railroads. because ~ fhe
Inadequate rates fixed hg the inter
state commerce commission had
neen unable to Keep pace with indus
,ry and cC merce Conditions were
bad enough before the war. but that
added fresh burdens, he said
he told of the meeting of April
IL. when s31 railroads OF The United
states pledged themselves 70 co-or
dinaie their interests and formed +
continental railway system FOR me
period CT the war The government
had approved this arrangement not
withsianding that In some respects
it IS in violation of The sherman
law
The increase IN railway frei XII
-rafrc for 1917 would he approgi
matsly $40 0.o0o. 900 tons. he said. an,
ne cars represented by This increase
would make train $4,000 miles
long. The export commerce ha'
i doubled in q year, and the increas'
. In the production ~ hituminous Goa
would approximate $500 600 tons.
What Mr. Circuit termed "dilutioT
~ labor" WAS held responsible for
part OF the inefnciency % the rail
roads While the railroads are en-
blowing about as many men As ever
many old employees have been lure'