The Washington herald., 1918-06-08
SOUTH ROADS
NEED CARING
Region Raises Food that
Cannot Be Carried,
Says Holland.

A little over one-fourth of the aggre-
gate appropriations OF ssss 900 900 which
Director General McAdoo allows to
the railroads of the United States will
be received by the railroads south Of
the Potomac and Ohio rivers. This
money is to be spent for improvements
for equipment and for extensions. II
is none too soon. II the opinion Of rail-
road authorities be accepted as ac-
eurate. for railroads in. the South to
be enabled to make improvements. to
increase equipment and to better term
inal facilities.
More and more the belief is growing
that from the South much the greater
part of the increased food production
needed by the United States must be
obtained. but it is said that 1t is use
less greatly to increase Southern agri-
cultural products which when cooked
serve for food. unless railroad facili-
ties in the South are greatly improved.
In the current number OF the
Manufacturers Record, which is
high authority upon economic and
agricultural conditions in the South.
the statement is made that Secre-
tary McAdoo and other officers of
the government have constantly
urged the South to increase its food
production and yet hundreds of
acres of foodstuffs rotted in Flor
ida last winter because there twas
not railroad facilities for trans
porting this food.
1t undoubtedly was a disappoi<t-
ment to those who are managing
southern railroads that Director
General McAdoo deemed 1t expedient
seriously to cut down the estimates
made by these railroad managers
Of the amount of money which
they would need il they were to
put their roads into excellent con-
dition for transporting food.
Some OF the cuts made by order
of the United States Railroad Com
mission upon the estimates perpared
by railroad managers in which were
set forth the needs of these rail-
roads. were heavy.
Had the estimates prepared by
the railroad managers for the en-
tire country been accepted by the
railroad administration. then as
much as 100000 would have
been allowed.
Probably the railroads really need
as much as this sum. Undoubtedly
the reasons were deemed excellent,
or imperative. possibly. for making
the heavy cut in the estimates OF
railroad managers of the entire
country.
The Southern Railroad. for instance,
whose ramifications reach like the
fingers of hand to almost all parts
"f the South. east of the Mississippi.
would have been glad had Mr.. Nc
Ahoo given to that road the nearly
100000 it asked for. Instead of
that. he cut the figure down to s29,-
O"c.0G'. The Norfolk and Western.
which is also very important road
so far as transportation Of food
products is concerned received only
about OneShaIf of the sum asked
TIE. Seaboard Air Line and the
Atlantic Coast Line, both of which
penetrate very productive agri-
cultural regions. were obliged to
accept a cut in each case of nearly
S5.oOO.OOO. The ClinchfieId Railroad
was cut down to $4.3OO.O00.
south as Food Producer.
Several years before the out
break of the European war ii was
observed that in many parts of the
South the farmers were beginnins
to diversity their crops. They were
not relying entirely upon cotton
Louisiana with its reclaimed lands
. raised enormous quantities of corn
and the belief prevails in that State
that when land reclamation is
completed there. Louisiana will
rank not very far behind Illinois
in the production of corn.
So also in other parts of the South
the farmers began to cultivate wheat
with excellent results, and if Okla
homa be regarded as Southern
State. then the South will stand in
equal rank, almost. with other parts
OF the Union so far as production
Of wheat is concerned.
There has been. however. a serious