The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-30
THE CASE OF THE RAILROADS.

Under the above caption the Chris
tan Science Monitor, noted for its
fairness and impartiality on all public
questions. says:
Rumors to the contrary notwith-
standing, there is little prospect that
the United States government will turn
the railroads back to private control
on January /. The indications are.
rather, that government control Of
the lines will be held firmly until con-
gress shall have devised and adopted
plan for the future administration
of transportation systems which will
safeguard all interests concerned.
1t is not intended by the president,
or by the director-general of railroads,
Mr.. McAdoo, that in the permanent
settlement of the great question of
tribution. private interests shall be
ignored; it is especially intended that,
in this settlement, public interests
shall be conserved AS between the
two. the public is the more deeply con-
cerned. A money consideration can
make good any losses which private
interests may suffer by reason of the
possible transfer of control to the gov
eminent; nothing could compensate
for the loss which the public would
suffer. thru generations TO come, as
consequence of the closing to the pro-
queer ana the consumer OF opporluHl-
ties for an ample, unrestricted, and
cheap distribution of necessary COM
mobiles.
The first attacks made upon rail-
road combination and capitalistic con-
troll in the United States came from
the ranks of the producers, the farm
ers, the Srangers. 1t was class at
tack, and was inadvisable and danger
Gus for that reason. Moreover, it was
sectional. Furthermore, it was in
fluenced largely by prejudice due to
ignorance of the economic relationship
between capital and INDUSTRY. produc-
ton and trade. The Grange organiza-
ton, in certain states. was powerful
enough to obtain legislation antago-
nistic to the railroad corporations. AS
a rule. while hurting the railroads. this
legislation did not help the railroad
patron. Rather did it finally result
in injuring him
In recent years, mercantile, rather
than farming. interests have been up
in arms against railway management
in the United States. The shipper has
taken the place of the producer as a
REINFORCED by the average citizen
class, the class that is aroused to pro-
test more quickly by poor service than
by high prices for good service. d
Unto the equation has lately been.
introduced the last factor that one
W0ulu cAPcCt " AAilo VII tIO
popular side in a movement against
private railway control and manage
ment, or, to put 1t in its mfldest form.
in an effort to reform the exercise of
that control according to the ex-
igencies of the times, and to bring that
management into harmony with the
requirements and demands of the peo-
pie. II there is a capitalistic class in
the United States, Mr.. McAdoo has
been one of its representatives. He
was associated with corporate inter-
ests thruout his career. up to his ac-
ceptance of the secretaryship of the
treasury under President Wilson. He
advised corporations, served them,
headed them. He acted as an agent
for capital; he went into some stu
ital. He has today an honest mans
respect for honest capital honestly
employed. Yet he does not think that
capital, private capital, has operated
the railroads wisely, and entertains
doubts as to whether the common car
riers of the nation, in the nations in
terest, should ever be turned back to
private capital from government
emergency control, unless under a
very different and greatly improved
arrangement from that which has eX-
listed in the past.
has ceased to be a controversy grow
ing out of differences between certain
elements in the population. 1t is no
longer a dispute rooted in class or sec
tional or vocational prejudices. Not
only Mr.. McAdoo's attitude toward the
question, but the attitude of many
pathway directors and railway inves-
tors, serves to establish this. And
there is further proof of it in the fact
that, when the director general Of
railroads was looking for an assistant,
he sought and found one who had
grown up in the organized and tradi-
tional so-called capitalistic railway
system. He found, that is to say,
Walker Downer Hines, a Kentuckian,
who had been educated in the law,
who had practiced law in Louisville,
who had established reputation
based on his familiarity with and
knowledge of corporation law; in fact,
another man who, like himself, had
worked very satisfactorily for and
very happily with capitalists. Mr..
Hines knew so much about corpora
ton law and so much about the legal
rights of railroads that he was first
made general counsel of the Atchison,
topeka & Santa Fe Railroad company,
and then chairman of it's board of di-
rectors. He was in the latter positioo
when Mr.. McAdoo found him.
For year, almost. Mr.. Hines and
Mr.. McAdoo have worked together.
They have been in perfect agreement
as to the manner in which the rail-
road question should be handled and
settled. Upon one point are the two
said to be of one positive and unalter-
able opinion, namely. that the rail-
roads should either be returned to
their owners at once or else be held
under government control for an ad-
ditlonal period of five years.
Lloyd Georges administration was
endorsed overwhelmingly at the polls