Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-03

earneStlv recommend the unin-
terrupted puesuit OF that policy.
Il would clearly be unwise for US
TO attempt 10 adjust our pro-
-ras TO n future world policy as
yet undetermined.
The Railroad Question
The question which causes me
the greatest concern is the cues
ton of the policy to be adopted
owards the railroads. | frankly
turn TO your for counsel upon II.
l have no confident judgment CT
my own. / do not see how any
thoughtful man can have who
knows anything Of the complex
ity of the problem. IL is prom
lem which must be studied, stud
led immediately. and studied
without bias or prejudice. Moth
ing can be gained by becoming
partisan Of any particular plan or
1t was necessary that the adj
ministration of the railways
should be taken over by the
government so long as the war
lasted. 1t would have been inn
possible otherwise 20 establish
aud carry through under sin
Gle direction the necessary pri-
have been impossible otherwise
TO combine maximum produc-
ton at the factories and mines
and farms with the maximum
possible car supply 20 take the
products to the ports and mar
kets; impossible TO route troop
shipments and freight ship
ments without regard to the adj
vantage or disadvantage of the
roads employed; impossible to
subordinate. when necessary, all
questions of convenience to the
public necessity; Impossible TO
give the necessary financial sup
ports to the roads from the pub
lie treasury But all these ne
cessities have now been served.
and the question is. what is best
for the railroads and the public
in the future.
Exceptional circumstances and
exceptional methods of admins
tratiOn were not needed to con-
vince us that the railroads were
not equal TO the immense tasks
Of transportation imposed upon
them by the rapid and continu-
Gus development OF the indus
tries Of the country. We knew
that already. And we knew that
they were unequal to IL, partly
because their full cooperation
Was rendered impossible by law
and their competition made OBJ
licatory, so that il has been i'm
possible TO assign to them sever
ally the traffic which could best
be carried by their respective
lines in the interest Of eNpedi-
ton and national economy.
Peace by Spring
We may hope. L believe, for
the formal conclusion Of the
war by treaty by the time spring
has come. The twenty-ohe
months 10 which the present
control of the railways is linn
of peace shall have been made
will run at hte furthest, L take
Il for granted. only to the jan
uary of 1921.
Ras No Solution
The full equipment OF the
railways which the federal 3d-
ministration had planned could
not be completed within any
such period. The present law
does not permit the use or the
revenues of the several roads
for the execution of such plans
except by formal contract with
their directors, some of whom
will consent. while some Will
not. and therefore does not al
ford sufficient authority to un-
dertake improvements upon the
scale upon which il would be
necessary to undertake them.
Every approach to this difficult
subject matter of decision brings
us face to face therefore, with
this unanswered question: what
is right that we should DO with
the railroads, in the interest or
the public and fairness to their
owners? Let me say at once
that l have no answer ready.
The only thing that is perfectly
clear TO me is that it is not fair
either to the public or TO the
owners Of the railroads to leave
the question unanswered and
that il will presently become my
duty to relinQuish control OF the
roads. even before the expiration
of the statutory period. unless
there should appear some clear
prospect in the meantime or
legislative solution. Their re-
lease would at least produce one
element of a solution. namely,
certainty that 4 quick Stlmula-
ton of private initiative.
1 believe that il Will be serv-
iceabIe for me to set forth as
explicitly as possible the alter
native courses that lie open to
our choice. We can simply re-
lease the roads and go back 10
the old conditions of private
MANAGEMENT. unrestricted COM
petition. and multiform regula-
ton by both state and federal
authorities: or we can go TO the
opposite extreme and estaDllsh
complete government control, &C
companied. il necessary by ac-
tuaI government ownership; or
we can adopt an intermediate
course of modified private con-
troll. under a more unified and
affirmative public regulation and
under such alterations of the
law as will permit wasteful COM
petition to be avoided and a con-
siderable degree of unification OF
administration to be effected, a.,
for example, by regional corpor-
ations under which the railways
of definable are as would be in
effect combined in a single sys-
tenn.
Old Conditions Impossible
The one conclusion that / am
ready TO state with confidence is
that il would be q disservice
alike to the country and to the
owners of the railroads TO re-
turn to the old conditions IN
modified. Those are conditions
Of restraint without develop
ment. There IS nothing affirma-
tive or helpful about them. What
the country chiefly needs is that
all its means OF transport should
be developed. its railways. its
waterways. its highways. and its
countryside roads. Some new
element of policy. therefore, is
absolutely necesSary-neceSsa
for the service of the public. nee
essary FOR the release of credit
TO those who are administering
the railways, necessary for the
protection of their security hold
ers. The old policy may be
changed much or little, but sure
~ il cannot wisely be left as it
was. l hope that the congress
will have a complete and impair
tiaI study Of the whole problem
instituted at once and prosecuted
as rapidly as possible. / stand
ready and anxious TO relase the
roads fro mthe present control
and ] must do so at a very early
date If by waiting until the stat
utcry limit of tine is reached
] shall be merely prolonging the
period o. doubt and uncertainty
which is hurtful TO every inter
est concerned.
Reasons for Tip.
] welcome this occasion 10 an
NOuUcp To the congress- my mr.