New Britain herald., 1918-12-12
M'ADOO URGES FIVE YEARS 'R.R. CONTROL
Asks for Congressional Authority to Extend Governments Hold

Washington, Dec. l2.-William 6. McAdoo, director general. wants the government to keep hold of the rail roads for five years more, in order to give time for the working out Of a comprehensive system under which they may be run ultimatcly-eith privately, under government regula- tion. or with government ownership. He expressed this through a letter to the chairmen of the interstate commerce committees of the senate and house last night. It may be that he has shown congress the way out of the railroad maze that they will be glad to take.
 Five Years Necessary. Mir. McAdoo points out that less than five years will not justify the government in making the expendi- lures and improvements the railroads must have to work efficiently, and while, he says, the government oper- ation was successful as a war meas ure, the present law is hopelessly in adequate to meet the requirements or commerce in peace times The al- formative is the prompt release of the roads to their old private ow1erships, to which he objects as unfair both to the roads and to the public.
 Has Wilson's Permission.
 The president has given me per mission to say that this conclusion accords with his own view of tho matter" the director general asserts in his letter
 McAdoo denies that his plan means government ownership necessarily, or that he is in favor of such solu- ton. Congress is very largely afraid of hn .l.s. The cabinet is divided on it. The division of sentiment in con- gress is very clearly marked by the reception the McAdoo plan received Chairman Sims likes it immensely Chairman F. D. Smith of the senate committee is f1atly against it.
 2f Months Is Too Short.
 MT. McAdoo's letter explains that to continue Government operation for twenty-one months after the for- mai declaration of peace, under pres ent conditions, would mean disrup- tion of morale among employees and officers, and could not enable the 1 Government to go ahead with inn provements- and purchase of equip nent. Another alternative. the prompt return Of the railroads to private control without legislation
 
 wasteful competition, would be 'hurtful alike to the pubic interest and to the railroad themselves, he said, and the difficulty of obtaining immediate legislation providing g. permanent solution, is apparent.
 There is one, and to my mind only one, practicable and wise alterna- tive" Mir. McAdoo continued, land that is to extend the period of Fed eral control from the one year and nine months provided by the pres ent law to five years, or until the 1st day of January, 1924. This extension would take the railroad question out of politics for a reasonable period. It would give composure to railroad officers and employees. It would ad- init of the preparation and carrying out of a comprehensive program of improvements of the railroads and their terminal facilities which would imm ensely increase the efficiency of the transportation machine.
 Benefits to bc Derived.
 "It would put back of the railroads the credit of the United States during the five year period, so that the financing of these improvements could be successfully carried out. It would offer the necessary opportu- nitv under proper conditions to test the value of unified control and the experience thus gained would of it. self indicate the permanent solution of the railroad problem.
 ''The American people have right to this test. They should not be de- nied it. It is to their interest that it should be done. In my opinion, it IS the only practicable and reasonable method of determining the right so- lution of this grave economic prom lem.
 Has No Opinion Yet.
 Il am not now and have not been for the past year interested in prov ing or disproving the theory of gov ernment ownership or any other kind of theory. The railroads have been operated for the past year with the purpose of serving efficiently the paramount needs of the war, and Ut the same time furnishing the best possible service to the public, whether such operation tended to prove or to disprove any theory of railroad con- troll no matter what 1t might be. have formed no opinion myself as to what is the best disp ositfon Of the railroad problem, because the test has not been sufficient to prove con- clusiveIy the right solution of the problem. [ believe that five, year test will give the American people the right answer. An ounce of ex- periance is worth 8 ton Of theory.
 There are those who may say that un extension of five years for such a l test will mean government ownership l under effective federal regulation, l should not cause us to hesitate or re- ! fuse to act"