The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-29
FIRST ORDER OF
M'AD00 APPLIES
TO SPEEDING UP
Director General Tells Rail Ex-
ecutives to Get a Move
On Them.
NO L0AFING ON THE JOB
Personnel of Staff Yet to be
Created from Best Talent
Available.
NO L0AFING ON The JOB

Available.
Washington, Dec. 9.-The railroads
OF the United States passed into gov.
eminent possession at noon Friday as
Secretary McAdoo, designated by
President Wilson as director general
OF railroads, was delegating to the rail.
roads war board the task of operating
them for the present.
The war board, comprising five of
the country's foremost executives,
who have been in supreme charge of
the roads for the last nine months,
were called into conference at II
o'clock to discuss plans for welding all
transportation lines into single gov
eminent operated system. They left
the treasury department two hours
later under instructions to continue
their functions and to submit immed-
lately a plan of operation to the dircc-
tor general.
First Formal Order.
Tonight Mr.. McAdo0 issued his first
formal order designed to speed up
railroad presidents and directors in
structions to move traffic by the most
convenient and direct routes At the
same time he ordered them to con.
tinue the operation of their lines in
conformity with the presidents proc.
lamation putting them under govern.
ment control.
There was no indication tonight
whether Mr.. McAdoo intended event
ually to displace the war board with
an organization of his own or to con.
tinue it's organization for the duration
of the war. 1t was made clear, how
ever, that it will continue to function
until the director general decides that
better system can be devised.
Most Expeditions Routes.
The order that freight move by the
most expeditions routes opens the |
way for pooling of traffic impossible
heretofore by reason of statutes de-
signed to prevent the practice by car
riers operated under private direction.
1t takes from the shipper the right to
route his freight as he wishes and
leaves to the railroad traffic manager
the task of sending it most directly
and where there is least congestion.
Although Mr.. McAdoo does not be-
lieve complete unification Of all rail
systems can be brought about over
night, even with legal restrictions lift
ed, he expects measures to be taken
under government control will remove
some of the obstacles that now pre-
wont tho mid ronvoront nf froi~ht
Members of the war board were re-
quested to study the situation and
report on any measures to relieve con-
gestiOn they think might wisely be
put into force.
No Plans for Staff.
Thus far the director general has
made no plans for staff, although 1t
is considered likely that one Of his
legal assistants will be John Barton
Payne of Chicago, now legal advisor
to Chairman Murley of the shipping
board. He asked the war board today
for complete chart of it's organiza.
ton, which was furnished tonight. In
drafting into service the war board
organization the director general
takes over the services of all the
boards committees including the op-
Grating committee of eastern rail.
roads headed by A. w. Thompson of
the Baltimore and Ohio. He obtains
the service as we'll of the boards car
service committee, which is now as.
sisting the Interstate commerce com.
mission in distributing cars.
Pooling Equipment.
re |
ready started by the war board, will
be carried much further under gov.
eminent operation. Common use es.
pecially will be made of terminal ia
cilities.
An early measure to relieve conges.
ton, it was intimated tonight, will be
denial Of transportation to non-es-
sen.ial commodities. Traffic that is
considered unnecessary will be cut off
including both passenger and freight
movement.
This subject will be left largely to
Robert S. Lovett, government direc.
tor of priority.
Men Government Employees?
There was question tonight as to
whether the great mass of railway
employees in the COMPLEMENTARY g.
100000 in number-now become gov
eminent employees. Some officials
hold that they do not, on the ground
that the government in assuming con.
troll of the railroads is only super-im-
posing Us authority on them and that
as the roads are owned now as before
by their stockholders, railroad EN-.
ployes are still employees of the own.
ers of the roads.
Railroad finances were touched on
slightly at today's conference. Legis-
lation to guarantee the railroads pre-
war revenues has been drafted at the
interstate commerce commission along
the lines suggested by the presidents
proclamation. This will be introduced
in both houses of congress when the
president goes to the capitol to out
line his recommendations for financial
arrangements.