The sun., 1918-12-03

THE SUN, TUESDAY,
how any thoughtful man can have
who knows anything Of the COM
plexity OF the problem. 1t is prob
lem which must be studied. studied
Immediately and studied without
bias or prejudice. Nothing can be
gained by becoming partisans of any
particular plan OF settlement.
Problem Of Railroads.
II was necessary that the Admin
istration Of the railways should be
taken over by the Government so
long as the war lasted. 1t would
have been impossible otherwise to
establish and carry through under n
single direction the nee ssary priori-
ties of shipment. 1t wou,i have been
impossible otherwise to combine
maximum production at the factories
and mines and farms with the maxi
mum possible car supply to take the
products to the ports and markets;
impossible to route troop shipments
and freight shipments without re-
gard TO the advantage or dlsadvan-
tage of the roads employed; impos-
sible to subordinate. when necessary,
all questions OF convenience to the
public necessity; impossible to give
the necessary financial support to
the roads from the public treasury.
But all these necessities have now
been served, and the question is,
what Is best for the railroads and
for the public in the future.
Exceptional circumstances and
exceptional methods of admlnistra-
ton were not needed to convince us
that thu railroads were not equal to
the immense tasks of transportation
imposed upon them by the rapid and
and continuous development OF the
industries OF the country. We knew
that already. And We know that
they were unequal to It parity be-
cause their full cooperation was
rendered impossible by law ard their
competition made obligatory, 80 that
II has been impossible to assign to
them severally the traffic which
codld best be carried by their re-
spective lines in the interest Of eX-
pVbANAOi anu IldNlpIlhi CNpIlOIill.
Seeks Aid of Congress.
We may hope. l believe. cor the
formal conclusion OF the war by
treaty by the time spring has come.
The twenty-one months to which
the present control OF the railways
is limited after formal proclamation
of peace shall have been made will
run at the farthest. l take it for
granted. only to the January OF
1921. The full equipment OF the
railways which the Federal Admin
ist-ation had planned could not be
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 some win not. and therefore
does not afford sufficient authority
to undertake improvements upon the
scale upon which it would be neccs-
sary TO undertake them. Every ap-
proach to this difficult subject matter
OF decision brings lis face ~ face.
therefore, with this unanswered
question: What is IL right that we
should do with the railroads. IN tine
interest of the public and in fairness
to their owners? Lot me say at
once that hhavc no answer ready.
The only thing that is perfectly
clear to me is that II is not fair
either 70 the public or to the owners
OF the railroads to leave the ques-
ton unanswered and that it will
presently become my duty to relin-
quish control of the roads, even be-
fore the expiration of the statutory
period. unless there should appear
some clear prospect in the meantime
OF legislative solution. Their re-
lease would at least produce one e!c-
ment of solution, namely, certainty
and a quick stimulation of private
initiative.
believe that Il will bc service
able for me TO set forth as ex-
plicitly as possible the alternative
courses that lie open To our choice.
We can simply release the roads and
go back TO the old conditions of pri-
vate management, unrestricted com
petition and multiform regulation by
both State and Federal Authorities
or we can 20 20 the opposite extreme
and establish complete Government
control. acCompa MED, II necessary,
by actual Government ownership.
or We can adopt an intermediate
course of modified private control.
under a more unified aud affirmative
to-, =,
alterations OF the law an will permit
wasteful competition TO be avoided
and a considerable degree of unifiCa-
ton OF administration to be effected,
az. for example. by regional corpora
tons under which the railways OF
defnabie areas would be in effect
combined in single systems.
Change Nm Railroad Needs.
The one conclusion that I am
ready TO state with confidence Is
that 1t would he a dlsservice alike TO
the country and % the owners of the
railroads to return TO the old condi-
tons unmoilfed Those are Condi-
lions OF restraint without develop
ment There is nothing affirmative
| or helpful about them. What the
country chiefly needs is that all its
means OF transportation should he
| developed. its railways. Its water
| ways, It's highways and it's country
| side roads. Some new element of
! policy. therefore. IS absolutely neces-
sary-necessary for the service Of
| the public, necessary for the release
! ~ credit to those who are admin