The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-17

New York, October 16-(Spec1al) Frank Trumbull, who has given for some years much of his time to perfecting campaign of education with intent ulti- mately to persuade Congress to recog- nize the railroad situation and, having done that, so to change the law as to make it possible for the railroads fully to cooperate with the people and make it certain that the people will under stand that there Is an obligation upon them fully to cooperate with the rall- roads, could not have dreamt in 1914 that the government itself would initiate the very best campaign of education Of this kind.
 Already some of the leading members of Congress, and, it Is understood in New York, some of the members or the administration in Washington as well as President Wilson himself are looking for such changes in the laws and in the regulation of the railroads as will enable them to secure the cooperation of the people by giving full measure and fair service to the people.
 Word comes from Washington that It is possible, in fact, probable, that Con gress at it's next session or at least soon after the war is ended will adopt con- structive policy with respect to the rail- roads and will discard the destructive re- formation which has been feature or national and state laws
 Senator Newlands is quoted as having said that since April of this year the rail- road managers have so acted as wonder fully to increase the efficiency of the railroads. They have in this way fur nished a. marked contrast to the meth ods adopted by the railroad managers the senator says, before the war began. For some years prior to 1915 railway man ager were reducing efficiency so greatly that shippers and others who sought 10 buy transportation complained, saying that the American railroads were run ming down and that reasonable service could not be obtained.
 The senator intimates that efficiency might have been maintained and in- creased because the record which the railroad managers have made since April of this year Is simply wonderful The senator is furthermore quoted as saying that "the railways ran behind in the matter of efficiency until, under the pressure of wartime activities which have been forced upon the people, they are realizing that they were crippled by the very policy of conservation of their financial resources"
 Railway managers say that appar- ently Senator Newlands overlooks the fact that the railroads today are achiev- ing wonderful results in the way or efficiency simply because the govern ment has practically although>tacity per mitted the suspension of the federal statutes. Were the railway managers who now compose the railway war coun- ell at Washington to have undertaken before 1915 to do the things they are now doing they would have subjected themselves to prosecution. The govern ment would have entered suits charging these managers with violating the fed eral statutes. As the railroads were unable before 1915 to obtain fresh capi- tal with which to make Improvements, to enlarge terminal facilities and secure an adeauate amount of equipment. and as wages were constantly increasing, there was nothing left for the managers to dc but to economize in every direction Some of them were accused of cheese pairing"
 | Now the government permits the rail- way managers to bring into perfect co operation. and to coordinate, as though K all the systems of the United States constituted single unit, the various railroad companies of the country. That has made efficiency possible and in pri. vate or informal conversation every ons of the members of the railway war coun' lcil at Washington has said that this ef' I ficiency could not have been secured had not the government permitted tht railroads to be so co-ordinated that they
 substantially have become a single unit Great economies have thereby been ef'
 fected. The railroads. coincidently with the starting of the third division of the national army for the training camps 10 days ago. were able to movt
 over their lines little over 100000 sol
 diers from their homes to training campl
 or authorization points. This service In
 volved not only great deal of specia
 train service but the employment o