The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-21

New York, September 90.-(SpeciaL) Howard Elliott, formerly president Of the Northern Pacific Railroad company ana later of the New Haven Railroad com pany. is now doubly occupied because or the service which he Is giving to the government as a member of the execu- tive committee of the national rallWaS l defense association requires about three days a week in Washington, and ms dut,es as chairman of the Northern Pa 1 cific Railway company, and also ms continued associated relation with the l New Haven railroad, make 1t necessary for him to devote three days 8 week to that service.
 l therefore, MT. Elliott is In Washington half of each week and in New York the other half. This morning MT. Elliott stated that one of the difficulties the executive committee of the railway as sociation of national defense is meetlhs with in its efforts completely 10 co-orui- : nate the American railroads for natlonai service is due to the fact that the urgent necessities of France. England and Rus sia for certain railway supplies nave made necessary considerable delay III se- curing cars and engines ordered for the American railroads.
 Eov. ,+ was dAemed an essential factor in carrying on the war with adequate nreparation for ultimate victory tnat France, England and Russia should pc supplied as soon as possible with the va rious kinds of railroad equipments. Ihose nations to a certain extent had the Hfs1 call. and. although this may have de- l1aved somewhat the procuring of ade-
 onate supplies of cars and engines for the American railroads. nevertheless Tn meet ing the demand of the nations across the sea the railway war board believes tHAl l if is co-ordinating and cooperating "ltn foraien nations so that there may be such preparation as Is possible TOT the kind of war service which the raliroaos give.
 Nevertheless, the railroads of the Unit ed States have accomplished wonoerIul results in view of the fact that 1t was not until April that they began the policy or co- ordination and cooperation which has now, so far as national purposes are con lcerned substantially unified the American railway systems. The railroads of the Tinted States in the month of June' ahout three months after the presidents and managers of these railroads pledged Themselves to cooperate and coordinate to the end that the government might pc adequately served, handled 25 per cent tons of freight one mile more than they did in June of last year. This was done with very little increase of equipment. MT. Elliott says that the Volume of bus1- ness that the American railroads are now doing is running at the highest ns- ure ever known and if the remainder or the calendar year of 1917 shows mainte- nance at the present rate, the increase of the business over two years ago Will make it possible to report statistics wnicn will be regarded as astonishing, while there will also be a substantial increase over the volume of business done in lSlo' Many are inclined to the opinion that the increase in the efficiency and service of the American railroads IS due to the mower wisely exerted by the federal gov- ernment so that In that sense the gov ernment is really operating the Amer ican railroads. But this view is inac- |
 The only thing the government has done Is tacitly to suspend the operation or the statutes which forbid combination' agreements. pooling or anything that 1 tended Coward a monopoly. It is cu- rious fact that while MT. Elliott IS now much occupied for part of his time in trying to aid the New Haven rail- road so that the company may find a way out of its present embarrassment. these difficulties were in great meas ure due to the action of the government in disrupting the New Haven railway system If the New Haven railroad com pany had been able so to manage its af- l fairs as to maintain the coordination l of it's system in New England, the prob abilities are' that 1t would not now be 1 compelled to face quotations for it's stock that are only a trifle above s20 a
 share.
 1 Nevertheless the New Haven system Is now under the direction of the railway
 I war board, and with the cordial ap-
 proval of the government. so managed
 that 1t may, through cooperation and coordination not only with New Eng land transportation systems, but with
 those of the rest of the United States greatly aid the government In this time
 of emergency.
 1 Everything that has been done by the
 American railroad managers which has
 made it possible to report the remark
 able gains in service and efficiency. TO-
 fleets the work of railway managers act