The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-11
Fairfax Harrison Tells Some of the Things Roads Need
 to Do Their Part
DETAILS OF PLAN
 OF PRESIDENT ARE
 NOT YET GIVEN OUT
Senator Newlands Has Con- ference at White House at Which Entire Subject
 is Gone Over

Washington, December 10. President Wilson will go to Congress asking special legis-
 Iation to bring about unifica-
 tion of the railroads during the
 war.
 The fact that the President has de-
 cided definitely on such move be-
 came known tonight after he had gone
 over the whole transportation situa-
 ticn with Senator Newlands, chairman
 of the Senate interstate commerce
 committed He probably will ask for
 the legislation in an address to be de.
 livered before the Christmas holidays.
 Indications tonight were that the
 President has confided to none of his
 associates his full intentions and of-
 ficials were doubtful as to just what he
 may ask. Some were of the opinion
 that he might request action in line
 with the suggestion of the interstate
 commerce commission that antitrust
 and anti-pooling laws might be sus.
 pended during the war. Others pointed
 out that the commerce commissions re-
 port also carried the suggestion that additional legislation might be needed
 were the government to decide to take over operation of the roads.
 The Presidents advisers are divided <, te,r r-1r to be done Most of them, however. have come out for government opera ton and some of the strongest support lers of this proposal declare the execu- 1 tive already under the army appro- priation act has power to take over the roads for operation under an ad- ministrator.
 The position of the railroads them selves was set forth today in a letter to Senator Newlands from Fairfax Harrison chairman of the railroad board The railroads MT. Harrison de- clared. do not seek a repeal of any Legislation. believing the cooperative use of facilities recently put into oper- ation will bring about maximum ef- ficiency. Neither do they seek a loan from the government, he said. though
 government aid is asked in obtaining for them on their own individual credit new capital needed.
 Further measures to make the roads more efficient, MT. Harrison suggested.
 would be an increase in rates. priority for transportation of new material, appointment of traffic manager for government freight and exemption from the draft for railroad employees. The railroads opposition to govern ment operation is we'll understood among officials, but some surprise was expressed tonight at their objection to suspension of provisions against pool | ing traffic and profits. In the opinion of many officials complete co opera tion of rail systems cannot be accom- plished until the roads pool their traf- fife, which of itself involves a pooling of profits.
 ADVANTAGES IN POOLING > The advantages in pooling have been pointed to as the chief argument for government operation, since the govern ment directing the lines could pool traf- fic without violating inhabitants pro posed now for the protection of the public M In it's special report to Congress w public few days ago the intersta commerce commission held out two al- ternatives for relief of the transporta- tion situation. One was the suspension of antitrust laws and the other govern
 ment operation. Commissioner McChord  (Continued on Page Twoy