The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-04-06
LABOR OFFICIALS
WANTU. S.'T0 RUN
ROADS AFTER WAR
Declare Workers Want Govern
n1ent to Retain All Carri-
ers Permanently.
WASHINGTON,

WASHINGTON, April 4.-Presi-
dent Austin B. Garretson, railway
conductors, who was the first big
man in the railroad brotherhoods to
come out for public ownership of the
roads, said that ''if the railroads are
satisfactorily operated by the govern
ment, the owners will never see their
property again.
he gave this as a personal, rather
than an official opinion, but he ex-
planned that the rank and file of the
railroad employees, in all branches of
the service, are now doing their best
to make public operation satisfactory.
"All of the organizations OF rail-
road employees" he said, ''are urging
their members, either through the
official journals or through private
channels Of advice, to make public
operation so efficient that the roads
will permanently remain in govern
ment hands,"
Machinists for U. S. Control.
Garretson's staten ent is echoed by
President Johnston, International A.
sociation of Machinists, in his annual
report.
"On Dec. %, 1917, President Will
son exercised the authority vested in
him by placing the railroads under
government CONTROL" says the report.
This step became absolutely neces-
sarv for the reason that private con-
troll had absolutely failed. Private
ownership Of railroads had outlived
it's usefulness. The managers tried
by pooling their interests to relieve
the ever-increasing congestion, but
the conditions went from bad to
worse, and it became apparent to
keen observers that the competitive
system, in so far as the railroads
were concerned, had utterly failed,
and that government control was alb
solutely necessary.
Interests Want Roads Back.
1.-The interests however, are using
all OF their powerful influence to have
congress enact legislation providing
for the return of the railroads to
private ownership 1S months after
the war has terminated. (This was
written before congress had voted a
time limit of 21 months after the
wary. It is naturally assumed that
the government will spend millions
! Of dollars in rehabilitating the roads,
purchasing equipment, repairing the
| motive power and placing the roads
| in first-class condition. The financial
interests that have sapped the very
! life out of the railroads, and are re-
| sponsible for the present rundown
condition, will leave nothing undone
| to influence congress to return to
them the roads and equipment after
| they have been rebuilt and made over
| by the expenditure of millions of pub
| lie money.
I The International Association OF
Machinists has long advocated the
public ownership of railroads and
! other put.ic utilities 1t is, therefore
the duty of every member of ou,
association TO write their respective
senators and congressman protesting
against any attempt to return the
roads to private owners and demand.
ing that the government own and
control the railroads and operate
them in the interest of all the people
II strongly urge our members tc
| cooperate with the government ir
every way possible by making the
railroads efficient and government
control grand success"