The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-23
HELP FOR THE RAILROADS.

One oil TWO tnlngS must happen.
either the government must take
over the railroads under a form
of ownership That will make the
government responsible for The
satisfactory operation of the
roads, or the railroads must be
allowed All increase Of rates that
will insure their efficiency dur
ing The war.
Al this time we believe the
second course The more ica>ihft
and the one to be followed. Gov
ernmcnt ownership and opera
ton may be a logical olltgrowth
of conditions later. but nothing
now should divert the United
States from concentrating is
last ounce Of energy upon the
greatest business that was ever
undertaken by any government.
that Of winning tins war Tor our
national freedom and safety.
The railroad systems constitute
Il most vital part of our war ma
chinery. Rapid and adequate
transportation Of men and mate
rails over the very wide Terri
tory in which sixteen canton
nents are located. is obviously 50
important that delay may mean
disaster. Military critics have
agreed that orr greatest obstacle
is time and that unless effective
ard comes to cur allies within
nine months it is entirely within
the realm of probability that Ger
many may hold the greater part
Of Europe as an entrenrhcd camp
and then be in a state of prcpara
ton for war of lnterminablc
length.
The railroads have for many
months suffered from inadequate
equipment The increased cost
Of operation by reason of the
AdamsOn law. the refusal of the
Interstate commerce commission
to grant an increase to the west
crn roads at the last hearing, the
depreciation of securities and the
consequent inability Of the roads
to borrow large sums Of money
for Improvements have, altogeth-
er. created a condition that must
be rcmedied without delay. While
the gross earnings of the roads
as a whole have been increased.
The net earnings have decreased
because Of the heavy added en-
pcnses. Now comes Il demand on
the part Of employees for an in
creased wage of almost Iorty-two
. per cent.
The railroads are not to be re-
garded wholly as private enter
priseS at this time. The govern
mcnt supervision i 80 wide and
so rigid as to preclude the posi-
hility of eXtortion from the public
such as we have experienced in
past wears. We know. too. that
the railroads have always asked
for more than they have been en-
titled to. An instance last sum
mer was their absurd demand for
an increase OF fifteen per cent in
lntra-state rates. The injustice Of
that clam Was 81 apparent that
it was not even given serious CON
sldcratlnu by the Montana state
railroad commission.
Now, at a time when all inter
cSts are expected to extend to
The limit their efforts to win This
war in jig time, the railroads
which are most important of all
should be allowed a rate That will
enable them IL furnish The very
best war service This problem
was quickly recognized 10y the
Brl'lSh government at the begin
nlng Of the Var. when the rail
roads Of Great Britain were guar
ant"cd by the government net
revenue equal lo that before war
was declared III That way alone
was a satisfactory service So
cured. \ form ni cooperation
must be arranged between the
railroads and orW government.
preferably through increased
rates. If it i mol done The re
suits Will be disastrous.