The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1918-02-07
WASHINGTON WEEKLY
NEWS LETTER

Washington, d. c., Feb. Pub.
lie ownership and government OPP
Grafton of the railroads are going
to be one Of the biggest issues in
this years congressional elections
That much is apparent from the
cleavage which already has result
ed in Congress.
There is but little doubt but that
a genuine sentiment exists through
out the nation in favor of govern
ment ownership of railroads. The
newspapers, many of them con
trolled by big business affiliations,
deny this and do all they can to
befog the issue, but the sentiment
exists and if the fight for govern.
ment control can be organized, if
enough congressman can be elected
upon this issue, there is no reason
why the United States should not
retain the railroads instead of re-
turning them to their private OWL
ers after the war.
Ownership Advocate Displeased
One of the important factors in
this impending fight will concern
the manner in which the railroads
have been operated under govern
ment control. If government CON
troll has been successful this will
give a tremendous impetus to the
movement for permanent ownc..-
ship. But if results have not been
satisfactory, government owner
ship will be given a set back. In
this connection many advocates of
government ownership are greatly
dissatisfied with the policy of Di-
rector General McAdoo in appoint
ing A. H. Smith. president of the
New York Central. President
Markham of the Illinois Central.
and President Ashton of the Chi
cago & Northwestern as regional
directors of the Eastern; Southern
and Western divisions.
James M. Tittemore, president
of the Wisconsin Union of the Ma.
tional Society of Equity, former
a railroad man of more than 30
years service, is one who objects to
this policy.
Not Government Operation
est does not mean government
operation at ALL" said Tittemore.
f::Secretary McAdoo has stated, in
his testimony before the senate
committee on Interstate commerce,
that he cannot personally direct
the work of the railroads, and that
he is doing it through these three
men. Ashton, Smith and Mark
ham are three as reactionary fig
ures as you could find anywhere.
If you were to pick out Senators
Kellogg of Minnesota. Penrose Of
Pennsylvania and Bankhead Of
Alabama, say, for the job of CO.
operating the railway system in
the public interest, you would get
about the same results.
"Take Ashton Of the North
western. He is to administer the
affairs of his competitors. How is
he to do it without causing fric-
ton? If there is no friction, it
will be plain that he is not reor-
ganinzing and shifting traffic in
order to get the best results; he is
letting the business of each cam
pany alone. In other words, there
is no real government operation in
any case.
eff the railroad business is put
on sensible basis by the govern
ment, at least $3.50, 100000 will be
saved the people. That much will
be saved in pooling terminals,
changing routings, and using ali
the railroads as one big property.
Kellogg Favors Railroads
! "This is just what our people
in the West imagined was being
done. They have been applaud
ing the government for doing it.
But it has not been done, and
these three railroads presidents
who are now running things, un'
der the Director General, won't do
it,"
Senator Kellogg, who belongs to
the senate committee on Inter.
State Commerce, is making des.
perate attempt to show that the
railroad companies ought to be
paid at least as much as they earn.
ed for the average of the past three
years. Ex-senator Joe Bristow Of
u Kansas, testifying before the com.
mittee. showed that this would
mean an average of about 70 pe1