The Washington herald., 1918-01-02
WILL
ASK CONGRESS
TO BACK HIM
dent to Address Mem
ss and Request Broader
Powefs Over Roads.

overs OVcr NOdOs.
PRESIDENT Wilson win go before
Congress with his railroad message
Friday or Saturday. according to
sstimations last night in oficial
Quarters.
Thoroughly pleased with what
has already been accomplished In
the few days during which the rail-
roads have been. operating under
government control. he will ask
Congress for prompt action to make
good his guarantees respecting
earnings.
Desires More Authority.
He desires specifically the au-'
guarantee to the roads a rate of
, earnings equal to their average re-
turns for the past three years. sur
I plus earnings above that guaran-
tee to be the property Of the gov
ernment and deficits below what
, he roads have been earning in
that period to be paid out Of the
Federal treasury.
While no hint is Forthcoming as to
the full purport Of the message. there
is reason to believe that the Presi-
dent has prepared tentative draft
OF the message Of what he will say
Although Congress as a whole ap-
plauds the Presidents action in taxi
Ing over the operation Of the roads.
the legislation he will seek will PROB
ably not have easy sailing. There
10 objection in both branches to the
rate Of earnings to be guaranteed.
Complaint is made against the fact
that the basis taken includes the
three most prosperous years in
1 American railroading. when, for the
! hrst time on record the dividends paid
out almost tipped the billion dollar
mark
: 1t is assumed that the President
viii ask for an appropriation Of some
sort that can be used as working
capital until the earnings can be
computed.
Definite Results Obtained.
Definite results were obtained by
the Director General within the last
twenty-four hours, chief among them
being:
n-F1fteen hundred cars Of coal
wers moved yesterday and last night.
throuEh the Pennsylvania tunnels at
tEr~ York for the New York district
and Tor New England.
1-Crcers were issued forbidding
tf1n1-Allantic and other ships from
lc1cLE bunker coal at Portland,
l2i1e These vessels were instruct
- y 80 to Newport News. Baltimore,
ftIsadeiphia or other ports, thus re-
ieaEne hundreds Of tons OF coal for
th4 siricken district.
EkiL more vessels were obtained
s1.U The Shipping Board. This makes
-a4en vessels that have been put
rosling at Newport News to move
tol11edlAtely to New England ports.
Nley will have a delivering capacity
q nestly $500 tons CT coal a wek.
[-oT ers were sent to St Louis.
szfnA : City, Chicago and Cleveland
'drrtcts to begin to move the block
acet ccal cars East. They will be
,pshe9 to the New England district
US = soon as the present jam has
essn feared. :
freight shipped Express.
Nev Years Day was coal day
idrouzkout the Northeastern section.
ae etrector general sent orders to
Ise1 II. Smith, in charge of the
,rsnsportation Of the district, to move
ost through the Pennsylvania tubes.
ds tracking everything else. The
soal trains practically became ex-
isrszs srains.
Pa senger trains were side tracked
efsFynf ere to let the fast coal
slrourh. Even troop trains were held
Up = s1ne places for the quick move
ilenl n coal The opening I'D of the
--1 - ania tubes for freight clears
ne nst important gateway in the
cnUnc
tiseS n General McAdoo had a long
t3lfrrer ce yesterday in his new Of
So The Interstate Commerce Com
hsi-n Building, with Hale Holden,
suoge Edward Chamber, Walker d.
hnes. and Judge Robert S. Lovett.
Judge Lovett issued an order to all
common railroad carriers abolishing
al priority oroers, except No. /, which
had to do with troops
This leaves the way absolutely clear
for the movement Of anything which
the director general believes most i'm
mediately demanded, whether fuel,
food or munitions.
= Today the director general will take
up with the four big brotherhood
chiefs, their position. He has admit
ted that tho men will receive "just
eo7sderation." 1t was said last night
~ there probably will be a grant
-bf an increase in the wages Of the
men OF from Is to 20 per cent. The
uen demanded approximately 70 per
cent raise: but they have expressed
their willingness to let this question
await a trial Of government control
Of the roads. 1t is believed they will
be willing to take the smaller increase
and let the matter rest temporarily.