Evening star., 1917-12-10
ROADS MAKE FINAL
FIGHT AGAINST FULL
FEDERAL CONTROL
Senator NeWIands to Discuss
Situation With President
Wilson Today.
RAILROADS WAR BOARD
CONFERS WITH OFFICIALS
Executives Of Big Systems Cling to
Hope That Individual Direc.
ton May Remain.

Government operation of the
railroads hung in the balance to-
day, with railroad executives max
ing a desperate last-ditch fight to
avoid full federal control of their
lines during the period of the war.
Following their conference in
New York yesterday with heads
of most of the major lines in the
country, members of the railroads
war board returned to Washing
ton early today and called upon
Senator Newlands, chairman of
the joint congressional committee
working on transportation prob
lens.
| Senator Newlands had an engagement
with the President later at the White
House. 1t is the general belief that
. after the President has talked over the
problem with Senator Newlands it will
not be long before he takes some de-
cisive action.
| Though the railroad heads would not
welcome the appointment of 4 federal
| administrator. they are understood to
feel that such an appointment would
not mean a defeat Of their contentious
or of continued operation. which would
be under government supervision rath-
er than under direct government con-
troll. They have recommended. on their
own account. government trafnc man.
ager, who shall have ANAL authority
about priority and other questions re-
lating to carrying Of government sup
plies and war material.
Left to individual Direction.
There is the faint hope that even
with the appointment of an admins
traitor and the abolition OF laws which
prevent traffic pooling and divisions of
largely to. individual direction of pri-
! vate executives SO long as they ad-
| here to a transportation program
which the administrator lays out.
Under such a program they would con-
tinue under private operation to the
extent which a food manufacturer or
distributor or coal mine operator
now mas nlHSells Will loOu anu AuCl
administrators appointed.
+ A principal reason for the conference
in New York was to determine upon
some estimate. based on the aggregate
needs of all lines, OF the financial as
to meet emergency demands for the cur
rent year. The figures agreed upon
probably will be transmitted to the
| President by Senator Newlands after his
information on this point received at the
conference with the members of the rail-
roads war board.
within twenty-four hours a detailed
report is expected to be made public
| from the operating committee at Pitts
burgh, covering the first weeks work to-
ward relieving the freight congestion on
the eastern roads. The railroad men be-
will be strong argument for continued
private operation.
Cars Ordered Distributed.
There is a report just compiled by
the committee on car service which also
is stressed by the railroad heads. This
report shows that in q period from
there were ordered distributed 20s.527
cars to roads handling government or
ders, and of these 173.94S were de-
liyered by November 80, and on that
date more than 1000 were en- route;
effort to meet the criticism that cars
moved slowly. were collected in re-
gions awaiting return shipments, and
"empties" back to congested regions.
Pra ctically all the cars in question
were empty. The need for this move
ment of enxpties lies in the one-way
sections, such as the movement from the
lumber regions of the south, to which
there are no compensating shipments
in return.
situation has been met upon each line
The Atlantic Coast Line shippers asked
for 14.600 cars for the carrying OF gov
eminent material. phosphate rock
cotton and cotton products. and gem
erai traffic. OF these 1889 were
furnished. The Illinois Central requi-
sitioned 1928 and got iS;sss M cars
cargoes of grain. The Louisville and
Nashville requested 1S,034 and received
16, 3os, and the Mobile and Ohio wanted
1e274 and obtained $500.
Requested None in Return.
Indication of the source of these cars
is given in the figures showing that
the pennsylvania system has sent Off
its own lines 60,063 cars, and has re-
auested none in return, and the Bal
timore and Ohio has given 1878. These
lines are able to handle outgoing bust
ness from their own consignors be-
cause of the heavy shipments coming
in from the west and south. Under
ordinary conditions these cars would
tend to remain idle and empty until
they were forced back into other parts
of the country with shipments.
Railroad men consider that the J. c.
C. report, which they at first hailed as
and rather welcomed be-
cause 1t admitted the need of financial
aid which they had stressed, may prove
a boomerang in leading to the govern
ment operation which they sought to
avoid.
been much talked about is based on q
rather offhand calculation. and IL is
nossible that the railroads may have
decided to ask even more than that. II
was pointed out that IL the railroads in
1917 bought the same number OF new
cars and engines as they purchase year.
ly. anyway. that would account for
$500 900 900 of the billion dollars at
nresent prices. OF course. that amount
ordinarily is expended through earn
mus and borrowed capital: but this
wear the earnings have been cut. Il fs
contended, and 1t Is impossible to bor-
row money at rates which are not sui.
cidal