The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-28
War Board in Charge.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-Director
| General McAdoo today placed the
existing war board of private rail-
road executives in charge OF tenn
porary operation of the nations
lines
This was the sole official announce
ment following ninety minute con-
ference between McAdoo and the
executives during which the roads OF
the country quietly passed from pri-
vate to federal control on the hour
of twelve.
4 The lem Urgency operators" in
clude Fairfax Harrison, president OF
the Southern railway; Howard Ell
lott, New York, official of the New
Haven and Hartford railway. and
chairman of the board of directors of
the Northern Pacific; julius Krutt-
schnitt, chairman executive commit
tee Southern Pacific: Hale Holden,
president c., B. & O., and Samuel.
Rea, president Pennsylvania lines.
The board, McAdoo stated, pledged
him its hearty support and agreed
to continue operations until he saw
fit to put into effect his planned
organization.
Problems of operation were chiefly
discussed. he said, and no decision
or any KIND was reached.
Details must be worked out before
orders covering pooling and freight
shipments can be issued. it was
stated.
/ These orders are expected to come
through the war board until McAdoo
completes his own organization.
The personnel of McAdoo's pro-
posed organization has not been de-
termined on, he said. This included
what personal counsel he will gather
about him.
Judge Payne, counsel of the ship
ping board, may be slated for
one of the posts in the new organi
cation. Asked whether Payne would
assist" him, McAdoo smilingly turn
ed to Payne and said:
I'VE hope so.'
! Shortly after noon, McAdoo's first
economy stroke under the new regi-
me was elimination of
the war board publicity bureau. The
three employees were notified of their
dismissal. The Creel committee on
public information will handle the
governm ent railroad publicity.
No Politics In tt.
WASHINGTON, Dec 2s.-"Good-,
bye, gentlemen; pray for the direc-.
tor general of railroads.
| Thus did Secretary McAdoo con-
clude his first conference with news
! papermen since becoming railroad
! administrator.
we must get shot to pieces back
OF the lines, as well as in them"
the secretary said, "and / for one,
am willing to take mine wherever it
is thought / can do the most good.
No sane man would want such a
tremendous responsibility as this
position entails, and l ask each of
you that you keep in mind there is
not one particle of politics in the
entire governmental administration
at TINS time. j ask your co-opera-
] ton
To slice OFF Big Salaries.
/ lBy George Martin, United Press Staff
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28.-Director
McAdoo of the United States railroad.
plans to slice millions Of uselesslv
spent dollars from the payrolls Of that
line. This is part of the general econ
omy program which he will eventual
~ put into effect. Every atom OF ex-
ira gliding on the railway dollar sign
will be Clipped off
FABULOUS railroad presidents salar-
49, "AAA SoiAC tuLuDiluk QOWQ OF OfSAD-
pear altogether. Millions paid to elab
iorate STATS OF freight solicitors viii
be Topped off. ExpenNve PASSENGER
"traffic-tickling" departments VIII be
done away with. Duplication of ex-
pensive forces at great terminals will
be stopped.
Rigid economies will be effected as
= soon as | get my hand more firmly on
the problem, said the director general
today. Until then it is useless TO
speculate on precisely what I shall do
further than to say that this great en-
terprise will be run with a minimum
OF expense and maximum of adequate
service Financial geniuses elected
presidents OF railroads for their money
getting and their money handling DOW
ers VIII be useless now that govern
ment control makes the roads credit
perfect Many of these men either
Will step out Of the railroad game for
the duration of the war or become
dollar-a-year' men for the govern
ment. Other officials, made unneces-
sary by government control, later will
drop out or be transferred to other
work
i General and division offices Of
American roads during 1916 received
s53,20O,650 in pay checks, little more
than two per cent OF the total of all
railroad employees salaries paid dur
ing that year. All other employees re-
ceived s1.412,579, 100 or an average Of
SS6S.69 per person per year.
Big railroad presidents salaries
range from $4,000 to $4,000. Four
are reported to receive $4,000 each,
ten others $4,000 each, and the re-
mainder on scale down
Severa millions tied up in expensive
national railroad advertising cam
lpaigns and other millions spent by the
individual roads in merchandising
themselves to the pubic will be clipped
off when the director general gets
around to it.
1t is not likely that any large num-
Der Of clerks will be put out of jobs by
reorganization of the terminal admin
listrations under the government uni
Rx..xt to- IT,. l. In