Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-01-11
PRESIDENT WILSON
ASKS SQUARE DEAL
FOR THE RAILROADS
mobilize Railroads and Treat
Them Justly" He Tells
Congress.
Fair Treatment for Owners and Gen.
eraI Public to Pc Guaranteed
Outlines of Methods of Gov
eminent Operation.

Washington, Jan. 5.-Compensation
to the railroads taken over by the gov
eminent, on an average basis secured
from the net railway operating reve-
nue. of the three years ending July 80,
I9ll, was recommended to congress by
President Wilson yesterday.
His address was devoted to telling
of the reason for taking over the
roads and the necessity of financing
existing securities.
The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress: have
asked the privilege of addressing you
In order to report that on the 2Sth of
December last, during the recess of
congress, acting through the secretary
of war and under the authority con-
ferred upon me by the act of congress
approved August 20, 1916, 1 took pos
session and assumed control of the
railway lines of the country and the
systems Of water transportation under
their control. This step seemed to be
imperatively necessary in the interest
Of the public welfare, in the presence
Of the great tasks of war with which
we are now dealing.
"As our experience develops difficult
ties and makes it clear what they are,
| have deemed it my duty to remove
those difficulties wherever I have the
legal power to do so. To assume con-
troll of the vast railway systems of the
country is, I realize, a very heavy re-
spOnsibility, but to fail to do so in the
existing circumstances would have
been a much greater. I assumed the
lesser responsibility rather than the
weightier.
Complete Mobilization Needed.
II am sure that I am speaking the
mind of all thoughtful Americans when
| say that it is our duty as the repre-
sentatfves of the nation to do every
thing that it is necessary to do to Sc
cure the complete mobilization of the
whole resources of America by as rap
| id and effective a means as can be
found. Transportation supplies all the
arteries of mobilization. Unless it be
| under a single and unified direction
the whole process of the nations 'ac
| ton is embarrassed.
ut was in the true spirit of America
and it was right, that we should first
try to effect the necessary unifcation
under the voluntary action of those
who were in charge of the great rail
way properties; and we did try 1t. The
directors Of the railways responded to
| hn
Praises Railway Executives.
THE group of railway executives
who were charged with the task of
actual coordination fAnd general direc-
ton with patriotic zeal and marked
ability, as was to have been expected,
and did, 1 believe, everything that it
was possible for them to do in the cir
cumstances. If 1 have taken the task
out Of their hands it has not been be-
cause of any derelictiOn or failure on
their part, but only because there were
some things which the government can
do and present management cannot.
We shall continue to value most highly
the advice and assistance of these gen.
tlemen, and / am sure we shall not find
them Withholding it.
Government Control Needed.
at had become Enthusiastically plain
that only under government admins
tratiOn can the entire equipment of
the several systems of transportation
| be fully and undreservedly thrown into
common service without injuri-
| Gus discrimination against particular
properties. Only under government
| administration can an absolutely I'M
restricted and unembarrassed common
use be made of all tracks, terminals,
I terminal facilities and equipment of
every kind. Only under that authority
can new terminals be constructed and
| developed without regard to the re-
auirements or limitations of particular
roads. But under government admin
istration all these things will be pos
| sible-not instantly, but as fast as
practical difficulties which cannot be
merely conjured away give way before
the new management.
Little Disturbance as Possible
"The common administration will be
carried out with as little disturbance
of the present operating organizations
and personnel of the railways as pos
sible. Nothing will be altered or dis
turbed which it is not necessary to dis
| turb. We are serving the public inter-
est and safeguarding the public safety,
but we are also regardful of the inter-
est of those by whom these great prop
critics are owned and glad to avail our
selves of the experience and trained
ability of those who have been man.
aging them. 1t is necessary that the