Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-03

necessary: considerable proportion
OF those forces must remain i'm Euronc
ahur,nE the period of occupation. ana
transported and dcmObilized at heavy
expense for months to come The in
,ereSt on our war debt must. of course,
De PAD, and provision made for the
retirement of the obligations OF the
government which represent IT. H,it
these demands will. Of course, fail much
below below what a continuation of military
operations would have entailed, and
S6'ooOooo,Oo should suffice TO supply
Il sound founda ton for the financial
operations Of the year.
TANES FOR i9:9 SHOULD he
REDUCED no $1,000, 0U0 600
entirely concur with the Secretary
OF the Treasury in recommending that
the $1,000, 900. 900 needed I'M addition TO
the $1,000. 100000 provided by eXisliny
INV INV oc on.nlned from the profits which
nave accrued and shall accrue from
war contracts and distinctiveIy war
business. hut that these taxes be con-
, ,a' 10 INC war profits accruing in
l?lS or in 1919 from business Oririnat-
'nE In war contracts urge YOUR
acceptance of his recOmma pdation that
provision he made now, not subseuucnr-
should be reduced from $4,000, 000. 900
10 $1,000. 100000. Any ARRANGEMENTS
less definite than these would add Gle
mentS of doubt and confusion IN tho
critical period of Industrial readiust-
ment through which the country must
now Immediately pass. and which no
true friend of the nations essential
business interests can afford 10 be re-
sponsiblc for creating or prolonginC
clearly determined conditions, clearly
ana simply chnricd. are Indispensable
Lustrial development which may con
iidcntly be expected if we act now
and sweep all Interrogation points
away.
~ take it for granted that the Con-
gress will carry QUO the naval pro
gram which was undertaken before
we entered the war. The Secretary of
me Navy has submitted to your com
the program which covers the building
plans Of the next three years These
iR,ans nave been prepared along the
lines and in accordance with the Motley
which the Congress established, not
under the eNccptional conditions of the
war, but with the intention OF adher-
ing to definite method or develop
mcnt for the navy. earnestly rec
omnend the uninterrupted pursuit OF
mat policy. II would clearly be un-
wise Tor us to attempt TO adjust our
yet undetermined.
The question which causes me the
greatest concern is the question Of the
policy TO he adopted towards the rail
sci upon II. have no confident judg-
ment of my own. do not see how any
thoughtful man can have who knows
anything Of the completely of the prob
lem, IL is problem which must be
studied studied Immediately, and
studied without bias or prejudice. Moth
Ing can be gained by becoming parti-
sans Of any particular plan of settle
ment.
OPERATION OF RAILWAYS
NECESSARY AS WAR MEASURE:
~ was necessary that the admins
tration OF the railways should be taken
war lasted. Ii would have been i'm
possible otherwise 10 establish and
carry through under a single direction
me necessary priOrities Of shipment
1t would have been impossible other
wise 10 commune maximum product ion
~ me factories and mines and farms
with the maximum possible car supply
I" iake the products to the ports and
markets.: impossible To route troop ship
mcnts and freight shipments without
regard TO the advantage of digadynn-
l'Sc OF the roads employed: impossible
10 subordinate. when necessary. all
Questions OF convenience to the public
nrntsSity; Impossible to give the ncces-
sarE t'nancial SUP; or, to the roads from
me public treasury But all these ne
ccSS.iicS have new beer served ana
nc question, is. wha, is best for the
tire?
"Fxcep,ional circumstances and ex-
oepiionai methods OF administration
were not needed to convince us that
the railroads were not equal to the
fhncnsc tasks o. TRANSPORTATION I'M
posed upon them hy The rapid and con
tinuous development Cf the industries
oil the coun!r'. We knew that alreaGy
And we knew that hey were uneulIaI
10 II partly because ihci. full co-opcr-
a'lon Was rendered Impossible by law
and their competition made obligatory
so that 1t has been impossible 10 as
sign to them scverallY the traffic which
could best be carried ny their resDcc-
I've lines in the interest of expedition
ana national economy.
we may /hopc. believe. for III" for
nal conciusl?n of the war by treaty by
me Tine Spring has come. The TWEEN
tN-onc months % which The present
control Of the "ailwovs IS limited n t,e,,
formal proclamation Of peace shall have
been mac VIII rnn ut the farthcs, |
nike il Tor granted. only 10 the Jan.
nary ~ 1921. 1h" ful cnuipmcnt OF
I've RAILWAYS which the Federal admin
istraii"n had ptann"d could not he
completed within any such period The
present law does not permit the use
OF IN" revenues IF The several ROADS
for tho execution Of such plans OK
cent by formal contract with their di-
rcrtors. some of whom Will consent
WIN" som" vii! not. and therefore does
not HHord sufficient authority 10 unner-
take improvements upon u,c scale upon