The weekly tribune. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1918-1919, 1918-12-06

profit wsl CHI have accrued and shall
accrue from war contracts and fis-
tinctiye v war bus ness, but that these
taxts lie confined TO the War profit
aecrling in 1915, or in 1919, from,
business originating III war contracts.
] urge your acceptance of his recon-
nendat on that prov sion be made
now. not subsequently, that the taxes
Ia be psid IN 1920 should he T. duced
from $4,000 GGo,o00 to S4GJO.GJ0.-
co. Any arrangement less definite
than these would add elements of
doubt and confusion to the or teal
period Of industrial, r1aiiustment
through which the country must now
immediately pass. and which no true
friend Of the nations essential bust
ness interests can afford to be respon-
: BIZ for creating or prolonging.
Clearly determined conditions. clear
ly and S mp y charted, are indispen-
liable 10 the economic revival and
rapid industrial development which
may confidently be expected if we
act now and sweep all interrogation
points away
take it fer granted that the Con-
gr- IS VII carry out the naval pro-
GRIM which was undertaken before
we entered the war. The Secretary
Of the Navy has submitted to your
COMMITTEE for authorization that
part OF the program which covers
the hu ldlng plans for the next three
years. These plans have been pre-
par j along the ines and in accord
TnCe with tie policy which the Con
cress established not under The excep-
tlonal conditions of the war, hut
with the intention of adhering 10 a
d finite method of development for
The navy. i earnestly recommend
the uninterrupted pursuit of that pol
ic.'. 1t you'd hp clearly unwi g for us
to attempt to adjust our programs to
future world policy as yet undo
tcrmincd.
Inc quest on which causes the
greatest concern Is the question of
The policy adcptd toward railroads.
frankly tdin to you for counsel up
on 1t. | have no confident Judgment
OF my own. | do not see how any
thoughtful man can have who knows
anything of the complexity of the
! problem, It s problem which must
'bc STUDIED, studied Immediately and
.studiod without bias or prejudice.
Nothing en- be gained by becoming
! :ar; sans of any particular plan of
settlement.
Il Was nece sary that the admins
tration of The railways should be
taken over hy the government SO
long "a the Val lasted. It. would have
been jmposs bic otherwise to estab-
lis hand carry through under single
direction the necessary prorities of
shipments. IL would have been inn
possible otherwise to combine maxi
mum production of the factories and
mines and farms. with the maximum
pcsS bly, car supply to take the pro-
ducts of the ports and markets: i'm
poss,bl 70 route troop shipments and
freight h pmsntS without regard 10
the advantage or disadvantage of the
els employed: Impossible 10 subor-
dlnato. when necessary, al questions
OF convenenCeS to the public neces
rty: impossible tn give the necessary
financial support to the roads from
the public treasury. But all of these
necessities have now been served and
the quest on Is. What is best for the
railroads and for the public in the
future?
Exceptional circumstances ana ex-
coptonal methods of administration
We're not needed to convince US that
the railroads were not equal to the
hmm nse ia Ks of transportation I'M
posed upon all e them By the rapid
development OF the Industries of the
country. We know that already. And
we know that they wero UNEQUAL to
hH partly because their full cOopera-
cif was rendered impossible by Jaw
and their competition made obliga-
tory. So that It has been impos .ibIe
to assign to them severally the traffic
which could best be carried b. their
resp rive lines in the interest of ex-
petition and national economy.
We may hope, | believe for the
lorna' conclusion of the war by
tiCr't! ~ iHe GtHtS spring mas come.
The q months to which the present
control of the railways is limited af-
ter forma' proclamation of peace shall
have been made will run at the farth-
est. take it for granted. only to the
January of 1921. The full ecu pment
OF the railways which the Federal
Administration has planned could not
he completed within any such period.
The present law does not permit the
use of 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 SOM will not. andtherefore does
not afford suffic: ent authority to I'M
dertake improvements upon the scale
upon whichit would be necessary to
undertake them. Every approach to
this difficult subject matter of decis-
on brings us face to face, therefore,
With this unanswered question: What
is right what We should do with the
RAJ roads in the interest of the public
and IN fairness to their owners?
Let me say at once that | have no
answer ready. The only thing that is