The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-31
ABOLISH ROADS
HINDRANCES
Wipe Out Many Competitive
Obstacles to Railroad
Speed
CHIEFS GET ORDERS
FROM McADOO
Labor Demand Ahead-Coal
Problem Is the First to
Receive Attention

Washington. Dec. 3l.--Definite step
toward national unifcation of railroad
and improvement of congested condi
ditions were taken Saturday by Director
General McAdoo in the appointment OF 8
temporary stan and the issuing of his
first formal order directing absolute pool
| ing of all traffic, common utilization Of
terminals. rolling stock and other tacil
titles, hauling of freight by the shortest
routes. and retention of all present Off
GERS and employees.
| Special instructions were issued for
the clearing of congestion in New York
and Chicago through pooling of termi-
mails and other traffic facilities, and Al
fred II. Smith, president OF the New
York Central was named temporary spe-
cial assistant to supervise transporta
ton in the trunk line territory east of
the Mississippi and north of the Ohio
rivers, where congestion is greatest.
Walker d. Hines of New York rail
road lawyer aud for many years spe.
cial student of government operation
was appointed assistant director gener-
al heading the formation Of a perma
nent staff.
The interstate commerce commission
was drafted for an investigation by its
inspectors OF general freight conditions
on eastern trunk lines
While the director general was con
ferring Saturday with number of rail
road heads, interstate commerce commits
sioners and members of Congress and
planning immediate action TO remedy
faults OF transportation, ii became
known that the demands OF the four
railroad brotherhoods for a 40 per cent
wage increase had been denied by the
railroads. and consequently the labor men
had decided to postpone for probably 60
lays the presentation of their case to
The government
II was thought probable that Presi-
dent Wilson would take up the labor
in his address to Congress /
Thursday or Friday.
Congressional agencies went to work /
saturday on the new railroad situation /
fhe Senate interstate commerce commits
ion at special hearing drew from
hartman Hall OF the interstate com
nerce commission the statement that the
governments failure to centralze pri.
'rity administration was largely respon
ible for freight congestion.
Senator Cummlns, ranking Republic
an member of the Senate interstate
committee, in a conference
Nth Mr.. McAdoo, expressed the opin
On that legislation to prescribe the basis
I government compensation TO the roads
iould be passed speedily though not
'ithout some opposition 10 the presi-
ent : suggestion of guaranteeing to the
ompanies the average earnings for the
lst three wears.
The Eailroad war board whose sery
es have been solicited temporarily by
he director general, Saturday present
1 recommendations for speedy moving
freight in the Chicago congested cen !
n and made number of other sng !
nstions for economy and efficiency un-
er the new unifcation plan The rail ,
'ad chiefs freely predicted Saturday
lat the advantages OF the great non 4,
,mpetitiye system now being developed /,
ould soon become so apparent that the +
'untry never would revert to the old !
an OF private control. They even went {
} far as to predict very definitely that !
'vernment ownership as well as con :,
oil would be a development OF only a =
W years. :,