The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-12-12
M'AOOO WOULD CON.
T|MUE GOVERNMENT
CONTROL OF ROADS

Washington, Dec. 11.-Extension of
the period of government control of
railroads for five years, until January
l, 1924, was recommended to congress
tonight by Director General McAdoo.
Advantages of this, Mr.. McAdoo said,
are that il would take the railroad
question out of politics for the present
give time for carrying out an extern
sive program of improvements, and
provide opportunity for fair test Of
unified control to indicate he perma-
nent solution of the railroad question
"The president has given me per-
mission to say that this conclusion ac-
cords with his own view of the matter"
Mr.. McAdoo said in concluding letter
addressed to Senator Smith of South
Carolina and Representative Simms,
chairman, respectively, of the senate
and house interstate commerce COM
mittees.
| Mr.. McAdoo explained that to con-
tinue government operation for 81
months after formal declaration of
peace under present conditions would
mean disruption of morale among en-
ployes and officers, ard could not en-
able the government to 90 ahead with
improvements and purchase of equip
ment. Another alternative, the very
prompt return of the railroads to pri-
vate control, without legislation to
permit elimination of the old wasteful
competition, would be "hurtful alike
to the public interest and to the rail-
roads themselves" he said and the
difficulty of obtaining immediate leg
islation providing a permanent solu-
ton is apparent.
| "There is one, and to my mind only
one, practical and wise alternative"
Mr.. McAdoo continued, "and that is to
extend the period Of federal control
from the one year and nine months
provided by the present law to five
years or until the first day of Janu-
AIRY, 1924. This extension would take
the railroad question out of politics
for reasonable period.
| 1t would give composure to railroad
officials and employees. 1t would ad-
nit of the preparation and carrying
out of comprehensive program Of
improvements of the railroads and
their terminal facilities which would
immensely increase the efficiency Of
the transportation machine. 1t would
put back of the railroads tht credit of
the United States during the five years
period so that the financing of these
improvements could be successfully
carried out 1t would offer the nee
essary opportunity under proper con-
| 80, ha s.lt nf
troll and the experience thus gained
would of itself indicate the permanent
solution of the railroad problem.
"The American people have right
to this test. They should not be denied
it. 1t is to their interest that it should
be done. In my opinion, it is the only
practicable and reasonable method Of
determining the right solution of this
grave economic problem.
81 am not now and have not been
for the past year interested in proving
or disproving the theory Of govern
ment ownership or any other kind of
theory. The railroads have been op-
Grating for the past year with the pur-
pose of serving efficiently the para
mount needs of the war and at the
same time furnishing the best possi-
ble service to the public, whether such
operation tended to prove or disprove
any theory of railroad control, no mat
ter what it might be. have formed
no opinion myself as to what is the
best disposition of the railroad prob
lem because the test mas not been suf-
ticient to prove conclusively the right
solution of the problem. believe that
a five year test will give the Ameri-
can people the right answer"