Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-12
RAILROADS. GOOD WORK
SHOULD Be CONTINUED
Let There Be No Let-Up I'm Indus.
trial Development While Lines
Are Run by Government.
MAKE GREATER EFFORT NOW
Editor Edmonds Takes Matter Up
With Government Authorities.
John Shelton Williams's Reply
Indicates No Cause for Alarm.

For several years past. previous to
the taking over of the railroad man.
agement OF tho country by the govern
Virginia and traversing the South gen.
orally engaged largely, and in some
instances enthusiastically, in Industrial
development. Tho established indus
trial and agricultural departments and
did a great work in having established
new industries along their lines and
encouraging better farming and more
OF 1t.
When the United States government
took charge of the roads there was a
slackening of this work and from time
TO time the reports have gone out
that it is to he abandoned altogether.
while the war lasts. 1t would seem
that the railroads OF Canada take a
very different Wow of things. The Ca
madam Pacific Railroad. for instance.
even in this time of war, is advertising
very widely in American papers to call
attention TO the resources and tho at
fractions of Canada.
GOVERNMENT APPEALED TO
TO PERMIT NO LET UP
Commenting upon this action OF the
Canada road, the Manufacturers Rec
ord says: But while this is being
done by Canada's great railroad, Amer
continue all work which looks to In
creasing their passenger travel or de-
veloping tho agricultural and industrial
resources OF their territory"
The Record then goes on to condo m n
any disposition OH the part OF the
roads or the government to let up on
this industrial and agricultural work.
1t Is possible, it says. that In some
respects American railroads may have
misconstrued the thought of the rail-
road administration, for 1t seems i'm
possible to believe that after due
thought hroad-minded government Of
ficials would for n moment suggest the
lessening of the activity of railroads in
the rounding out of the Industrial and
agricultural potentialities of tho sec
tions tributary To them. We can read
lily understand that under government
control 1t may he desirable to consoli-
date ticket and freight offices and leave
undone many things which individual
roads in tho past found 1t necessary
TO do 10 create passenger and freight
ira file. But we cannot for a moment
believe that 1t would be wise for any
railroad, especially any in tho South
or Southwest, for one moment to lessen
the activity OF its agricultural and in
dustrial department in bringing about
larger utilization of the great re-
sources OF the South and Southwest.
THE PECULIAR SITUATION
IN THE SOUTH COUNTRY
1t would be folly, of course, for rail-
roads in Pennsylvania or other east
ern sections where unwise and uneco-
nomic Industrial development has
brought about a larger creation of
freight than it is possible for existing
roads TO handle to advantage, TO seek
to increase industrial or agricultural
activities on their lines. But the ma
TONS very life may depend upon the
utilization In the largest way possible
of the great resources OF the South
and Southwest for the production OF
iron and steel and chemicals and MUM
lions. and many other lines of work
Even more propounced is the need
Tor the utilization OF every available
acre of land in the South for increas-
ing food production, and If any South
crn railroad should be unwisely led
or mislcd into abandoning its work
Tor industrial and agricultural actlvi.
ties. not merely the South, but the ma.
ton. would be greatly injured
The South alone can be counted upor
70 make any great increase in the pro.
duction OF grain and OF meats, and this
fact must be constantly impressed upon
thousands and tens OF thousands OF
people in the North and West who
could be drawn into the South and
become food producers in this rrea,
| crisis.
MAY IEAnS I,x,nxx