New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-29

Of priority. who attended to-day con
ference Priority questions generally
will receive early attention. The rail
road heads to-day told Mr.. McAdoo
that there should be named immediate
Is manager for government traihc'
who should recommend % Mr.. Lovett
the order In which war supplies should
move. coordnatine the hundreds o.
priority orders now issuing from Narl-
Gus government departments.
There was a question tonight as 20
whether the great mass OF railway en-
ployes in the country nearly 100000
in number now become government
cmployos. Some officials hold that they
do not. on the ground that the govern
ncnt in assuming control of the rail
roads is only superimpos its author
ity on them, and that as the roads arc
owned now. as before, by their stock
holders railroad employees arc still
employees OF the owners Of the roads.
The railroads passed under govern
n,cnt control without any formality.
At II o'clock tho Director General and
the members Of the Railroads War
Board were 50 deeply cngrossed in the
discussion Of measures 20 relieve con
gestion that they did not note the pas
sage of time, and IL was not until half
an hour later that some one, glancing
AZ the clock in Mr.. McAdoo's Office,
called attention 20 the fact that the
roads were out Of the hands Of their
directors.
Not only did members Of the war
board assure the Director General OF
their fullest support for the govern
ment under the new arrangement, but
hundreds Of kilograms reached the
Treasury Department to-day from rail
road officers throughout the country
promising cooperation.
Railroad finances were touched on
lightly at to-day's conference. Legisla-
tion 20 guarantee the railroads pre-War
revenues has been drafted az the In
tersta:e 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 outline
his recommendations for financial ar
rangemcnts.
There was much speculation to-day
as 10 the governments policy respect
ing the means of raising funds TO re-
imburse the roads if operating rev
cnucs under government control fall
of. This can be done by paying Tic
deficit out of the Treasury or by rails
ing freight rates. The railroads arc
anxious that rates be raised. Their
position is that If .he properties are
run at loss they will at the end Of
the war be forced to resume private
operation on a basis that will not give
them revenues enough 10 pay expenses.
The disposition of government officials
apparently is to agree with them in
this respect.
Will Pay for Government Freight
Il is considered unlikely that there
will be any strong sentiment for trans
porting government freight free OF
cost. as is done in England. Officials
hold that il government freight is paid
for as il is hauled the government will
be in a much better position to deter
mine accurately the exact financial Ct
fects of government operation.
Several railroad officials to-day eN-
pressed the opinion that once the rail
roads are run as a single unit it will
be impossible after the war TO go back
10 the old system OF competition. Lift
ing anti-pool;ng restrictions, they hold.
will disrupt elements of organization
necessary under a competitive system.
and at the same time demonstrate that
connection is wasteful and uneco.
pornic