Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-11-27
May ELECTRIFY
ALL RAILROADS
Secretary McAdoO as Chief Boss of
Transportation Figuring on
Problem
BIGGEST SCHEME
OF CENTURY
Fuel Problem May Result i'm U. S,
Inventors Harvesting All Noun
tain and Other Streams

| ""9HihStoh, IL. -C.-oeCrsLaPy NC
Adoo said on his return to duty in
the treasury department and the Of
nee OF the director general of rail
roads. that his observation of the
vast resources of water power during
the two months he had been absent
from Washington since the close of
the last bond campaign, had impress
sed him with the idea of electrify-
ing the railroads of the United States.
If the government were to continue
the administration of the railroads
of the country for any prolonged
period, he said, he would be in favor
of resorting to the use of electricity
just as far as it could be practically
employed.
Notwithstanding the great develop
ment throughout the country Of
water power yet to be harnessed and
turned to account of moving the in
dustries and the transportation of the
American people. This power, now
almost entirely the property of the
United States, could be commander
ed with cost slight in comparison
with the advantages to be derived
from it. This, in view of the con-
tinually troublesome problems con-
nected with the supply and distribu-
ton of the coal necessary to manu-
facturers and to heat home and city
apartments, was contamination
that sooner or later would be forced
on the country by absolute necessity.
Secretary McAdoo said that for the
present nothing could be done to-
ward substituting water-power for
Icoal-produced steam, but it might
come as plain matter of necessity
while this war was on. 1t would
first be desirable to keep up the
volume of manufacturing power and
then it would be required to relieve
terminal needs. Ultimately electric
ity would be principally employed in
first of all in simplifying terminal
problems.
The fact that the topography OF the
country was relieved by its many
mountain ranges, all Astounding in
streams that would provide power
was guaranty of the practical dis
ltribution of current in the sections
that are now forging rapidly for
ward in manufacturing importance.
Some of the virgin ground of
manufacturing development, such as
the South along the Atlantic sea-
board, especially invited the con-
sideration of this plan to relieve the
country from the thralldom of coal
mining and shipment, according to
mr.. McAdoo. He held that even IL
there were no such great necessity to
conserve our coal would of itself
Justify transforming many of our
railroads to electrical systems.
The secretary suggested that prob
ably electrification would be actually
undertaken while the government
had control OF the railroads, and that
the problem would be attacked at the
most favorable points in the country
where the static value of water was
most obvious and the cost of making
the change from steam to electricity
would be comparatively slight
The saving in cost of subsequent
operation, he said, would be such I
convincing demonstration that cleo
i trification as general policy would
be demanded by public opinion. The
incidental economy to be obtained
from the use OF electricity for manu-
featuring and transportation by use
of water power would come at first
in the saving of labor, Mr.. McAdoo eX-
planned. Then the fuel needs of the
people could be fully met by the
labor released from producing coal
for mountaineering plants and the
railroads This. in itself, he said
would be very large justification
for embarking in the experiment OF
eIectrifcation. if it could be called
AN experiment in the fact of tbs
numerous private electric plants OPP
erated by water power with such sue
lcess and such economy,
The history of the work OF the
government in the great system o.
reclamation in the arid west, Mr.. Me
lAdoo thought, amply supported the
Expectation that the government
could put through the conservation
OF water power for the needs o
manufacturing and transportation
and the welfare of the people in theii
homes.
Fundamental Human Need.
II seems to me q great truth that nu