Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-28
UNCLE SAM TAKES THE
THROTTLE

QLLAPSE Of American railroads under
the strain Of war conditions has
wounded deeply the pride of the nation
We need not concern ourselves. however
With the why's andswherefores. The Inter-
state Commerce Commission may have
erred in many of its judgments. 1t is more
pfobable that the underlying cause of fail.
oro was the maintenance of a public policy
which sacrificed efficiency and everything
<olBs to a theory of competition which could
never be translated into practice and the
\ whole effect of which was to subject car
4iors to unnecessary harassments and bur-
ems. It was a destructive, not n construc-
11ve, public policy. in addition, because 1t
4 Was preventive in character and took no
coSnizance of the imperative need for
.itorminal and other development. 1t was
nfaliy defective in that it compelled no ad
1ustment Of water service to land service
permitting ship tonnage to be adequate or
Inadequate as the case might be. 1t de-
handed the development Of no ocean routes
ana permitted undue concentration at fa-
yored ports to the utter ruin of business at
others
Four great railway systems from the
south and West converge at Washington,
!. the Southern, the Seaboard Air Line the
Atlantic Coast line and the Chesapeake
ana Ohio. Every one of them has had
through passenger connections with the
pennsylvania and not one with the Balti-
more and Ohio, although the latter has
guperb road from Washington to Philadel-
:. .phia and thence. via the Reading. to New
York. It is obvious to a layman that con.
" {rt3on could have been avoided by making
,nnter use of the B. & o. The situa-
Y ~ & simply illustrative of conditions
@1oawhere and more general than they
Shouid be. double-track system is
onpable Of handling more than twice the
tfnflc that a single track can handle. The
1outing of all through traffic from Chicago
s<Ha the Pennsylvania. say, to the LAST and
Y ~ all returning through traffic via the
81 q o. would be of enormous advantage
4 q the present emergency.
The appointment of Mr.. McAdoo, in view
: of the vest financial problems incident to
fAo new order Of affairs is doubtless
ceptable. The Government cannot take
over property equal in value to the total
8 wealth Of any but the most powerful nations
o. earth without having the transaction
under the direct eye of the Secretary of
the Treasury. Mr.. McAdoo undertakes a
Work more arduous than has fallen to the
;Iet Of most Presidents. The campaign in
ss france. the one in Italy, the impregnabil-
k1fS cf every front depends on his success.
b ~ these circumstances. it is imperative
" ~ the actual administration of the roads,
corralling Of motive power and
20. the fixing of new schedules. the get.
~ goods delivered and delivered on time.
tnfnsd over to the greatest railroad ex.
~ ~ and organizer In the nation. whoever
=. and that autocratic power be given
>lA There is no other way out.
EubIic opinion. to it's honor be it said.
4 *H11 countenance In thi, great crisis in
\ lciency In no department The weakness
X ony cog has only to be shown to assure
+ ~ oubstitution. McAdoo cannot stand un-
- he produces. No more can Crozier
< 111nd or any other man. Systems prece-
nc(s, persons, all alike must bow to the
- necessity Of making good. The ma
wants no servants except good serv.
The wits Of autocracy, are matched
~ the wits Of democracy The ad-
oGes Of democratic training must ex.
fhsmselves or democracy itself admit
~ That is the test. Patiently the peo-
Gcuntenance the collapse of old institu.
and acquiesce in revolutionary
1oGs but only because of the results
ped They ask much becauSe they
much. No touch of wand can make
)vsr Of = pismy. and the man who is
\ q q giant must show that he has
n1lfiss Of giant.
net1on d in process Of conversion
&oGe war machine.
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