New-York tribune., 1918-09-06
Railroads Will
Handle All Coal
Mines Can Produce
No Fuel Shortage Through
Rail Congestion, Says
McAdoo's Assistant

MCAdOO Assistant
Director General McAdoo conferred
in this city yesterday with his rail
road leutenants of the Eastern region
in the Office Of Regional Director A.
II. Smith. After the meeting, Oscar
A. Price, assistant to the Director Gen
eral, speaking for Mr.. McAdoo, said:
There is no chance of another great
railroad tie-up such as was experienced
last winter, and there is no danger OF
fuel debacle so far as the railroads
part in preventing one is concerned.
The roads will be able to handle all
the coal that the miners can extract.
"The Federal managers told Mr.. Nc
Adoo," Mr. Price added, "that they no
longer expected to be seriously troubled
with a shortage of labor. Since the in
crease last June in the pay for the
workers in the mechanical crafts there
has been a great improvement in the
man power situation for the railroads.
the roads is still much less than Of
fered in ammunition plants and in ship
yards, the stability and permanence
Of the work are proving attractive.
The new pay increase announced to-
day, which will affect nearly 100000
persons, is expected by the Federal
managers very largely to solve the
question of sufficient labor for the rail-
roads.
Notwithstanding the higher rates,
data brought out at the conference, in
dicated that 25 per cent n.ore passen-
gers are being hauled by the railroads
in the Eastern region at this time than
ever before. In spite of this, there is
not car in the United States that
cannot be speedily moved to it's des-
tination. There is now virtually no
congestion on the roads as a result of
unified operation"
Army Depends on Roads
The object of the meeting was to
give the Director General and his staff
more precise view of the condition
of the individual roads in this region.
Mr.. McAdoo, in brief address. stirred
the enthusiasm of ~ fifty Federal
managers present.
If transportation fails" the Director
General told MS aids. eve have lost
the war. The railroads constitute an
integral part of the war machine. and
1t Is supremely necessary that thev
keep the tracks clah so that they
bring food and clothing to the seaports
Tor our boys overseas.
Let US run these railroads with the
same efficiency with which General
Pershing runs his army. In militarv
science the coordination must not he
the second WHEN an army plans an an
attack every step in the movement is
thought out in advance When the bar
rage starts, everything is synchro-
nlzed that the attack proceeds with
maximum OF protection to all the par
ticlpants. The railroad system of the
country must be coordinated in lust
TINS way. Trains must be on hand at
the dot. If you cannot live up to your
present schedules, lengthen your sched
ules. Be on time, to the second"
Too Much Passenger Traffic
Mr. McAdoo said he deplored the fact
mat CIVILIAN passenger travel was so
large at this time, when the roads are
needed to carry freight necessary to
the winning of the war and are also
taxed with heavy troop movements.
Nevertheless, he said, facilities should
be made adequate for the passenger
traffic in every way. Mr.. McAdoo, who.
as result of his recent inspection
tour, is familiar with railroad condi-
tlons throughout the country, assured
the executives that transportation is
now at its peak and that it was not 60
ing to fail.
Besides reporting improvement in
labor conditions, the Federal managers
also stated that the roads were much
better equipped in motor power than
last winter.
In addition to the Federal managers
and Messrs. McAdoo, Smith and Price,
Carl Gray, director of operations of
the railroads. Edward Chambers, di
rector of traffic; Judge R. S. Lovett,
director of capital expenditures; II. A.
Worcester, director of the Oho-Indiana
district. and J. II. Eustis, director of
the New England district, attended the
conference.
In the evening Mr. McAdoo visited
his son at the United States Naval
Station at Bayshore, L. I. He will in
spect the New York. New Haven &,
Hartford Railroad to- day and also He'll
Gate Bridge and the Cedar Hills wards.
He viii visit the Boston terminals and
the Cape Cod canals tomorrow.