Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-12-07

state Commerce Commission that the
railroads OF the United States shall
be put on a plane OF the highest pos
sible efficiency by the repeal Of those
statutes which now prevent their OPP
Grafton with due regard TO the public
interest should be Immediately enacted
In legislation by the Congress. Already
In the great war emergency through
which the nation is passing the folly Of
the philosophy which has hamstrung
the transportation system Of the con-
tinent has been made apparent The
nadequacy OF the railroads to meet the
demands made on them Is directly at
tributable to the hampering laws that
prejudice and ignorance have put on
the books in the past, and until those
enactments are revised In the light OF
reason and experience, there can be
no permanent Improvement in the stu
alton and little temporary mitigation
Of the conditions which now exist.
BY following the counsel Of the In
terstate Commerce Commission the
Congress would provide for the lntelli-
gent operation OF all railroads In a
manner to serve the needs OF the ma
ton. The country would aid in the col
lection OF the capital needed immedi-
ately to bring them up to an efficient
standard under the conservative dlrec-
ton OF the financial officers of the
Treasury and bureaus created TO man
age this important enterprise; and pub
lie and private investment would be
safeguarded by a proper control over
securities of all classes.
The railroads must have capital: they
must be brought at once to a state Of
physical fitness for the stupendous
task they are called upon to perform.
! To provide this capital and to furnish
the Improvements needed no agency so
competent as the United states Govern
ment can be improvised; TO expend Il
intelligently and economically, no ma
chine comparable with the present
operating managers Of the railroads can
be brought together.
Moreover by the assumption as a
measure Of war necessity Of the duty
OF assisting the railroads in 1napcing
their necessary improvements, the Con
gress would begin a course Of practical
instruction that would be of the great
est pc sible benefit not only 20 its in
dlvidual members, but also TO the ma
ton they represent and the cons.iu-
ents from whom they come. They
would learn in the school Of experience
the magnitude Of the operations that
are essential to the maintenance Of ade-
quate lines, terminals and rolling stock.
They would be informed on the over
whelming burdens imposed on private
capital, which recently have been in
suppOrtable because Of unwise logis-
latlon and inlexble regulation The
railroads have been in a straitjacket,
when the safety of the country and the
preservation Of its institutions required
full liberty for development Their eyes
would be opened to the foresight that
must be exercised to meet not only the
needs OF tomorrow, but the require
ments Of years hence, and the Difficult
ties, not in sending trains from stations
and yards, but OF providing the tracks
on which they are to run, the rolling
took Of which they are made up and
solving the ever recurrent compiled
I tions in which are exposed the frailties
of human nature and tho failings of
men.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
! points out the alternative TO this
course. Il is seizure of the railroads by
the President under his war powers,
and direct operation thereof under his
authority for the period of the conflict.
Against this course the fact that the
Government possesses no Instrumental
ity competent TO the labor Of directing
the roads, and the fact, attested by ex-
perience in numerous enterprises re-
quiring the creation Of Government
bureaus, that the establishment of such
an fundamentally would involve
months and possibly years Of legislative
and executive experimentation and die
keriug, argue conclusively. The coun-
try has before It the illustration af-
forded by the effort Of the Government
20 build ships, In which its intention to
create a fleet has been INSTRUCTED by
inevitable quarrels, disagreements and
deadlocks II Is appalling to think Of
the consequences which would ensue II
the influences which have been oper-
alive In this matter should be permit
ted to intrude in the delicate mechan-
ism Of the already demoralized trans
pOrtation system.
The war plans Of the United States
demand that the railroads shall be
brought in the shortest possible period
OF time to the highest possible state
Of efficiency That can be accomplished
by Kidding the country Of the barriers
that unwise legislation has erected to
oppose their natural and logical deve-
lopment, by replenishing their treas
ures for the prosecution, under ap-
propriate public control, Of the new
construction that must be undertaken,