The sun., 1918-12-15
RAILOWNERSHIP
SPLITS PARTY
Little Prospect That Action
Will Be Taken by the
Present Congress.
NO PLAN YET OUTLINED
Vigorous Objection Also Made
to liberalization of the
Telegraph.
Speciai Despatch TO TuE suN.

Special Despdtch to The SUS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. IA. Instead of
the meek obedience on the part Of the
Democrats in Congress which hereto
fore has followed the present Admins
tration's demands for legislation. the
move for Government ownership of
the railroads and the telegraph and
telephone lines has developed a wide
open split in the Democratic party at
the Capitol. This is true also OF the
virtual Government ownership of the
meat packing industry sought by the
Administration. 1t is generally con-
ceded by proponents and opponents Of
the McAdoo railroad plans that ex-
tension, Of the authority OF the Gov
ernment over the railroads for a five
year period inevitably must lead to
Government ownership.
The only hope for realization Of the
plans Of the Administration lies in the
passage of the three measures before
March 4. Republican leaders of the
committees which must investigate the
puternalstic proposals predict conf
IDENTIFY that nothing can be accom-
p,ished in the short time left
No steps whatever Taken.
No sort of plan for a bill to extend
railroad control has been started.
Chairman Sims (Tenn.) OF the House
Interstate Commerce Committee still
has nothing to go or but the McAdoo
letter urging modification OF the pres
ent authority. and is without any def
mite idea of what modification the d.
rector-General seeks to adapt Federal
control to peace conditions. Until
such recommendations are made by
Mr.. McAdoo. members Of the commit
tee said to-day, the matter will be al
owed to sleep.
OF the three Administration sugges-
tions for actual or virtual Government
control the one relating 10 the tele-
phone and telegraph systems was the
first to be openly attacked. Chairman
Moon (Tenn.) of the Interstate Com
merce Committee gave the opponents
! OF the Burleson bill their chance wher
he made a defence OF the proposal in
the course OF general debate on the
, Post Office appropriation bill. Mr.
, Moon defended the move as merely
restoring to the Government q right Il
had possessed in the past.
Democrat Strongly Opposed.
Representative Steenerson (Minn.)
in answer said the most serious objec-
ton 10 Government ownership was
that employees would be used for po-
litical purposes.
Representative Black (TeX), Demo.
crat, member of the Interstate Com.
merce Committee, also made a strong
attack on the Burleson proposal. Mr.
Black did not confine himself only tC
the wire situation. but opposed thu
McAdoo plan for extension of Fedora
control over the railroads. in which
Mr.. Black foresaw Government owner.
ship in the end, saying:
PAY rolls will increase, red tape
will grow and the gains due to unified
management and control will disap-
pear. In fact. they already have made
OF the railroads are now immeasurably
greater than they were under private
management and have much more
than wiped out any gains which have
been made by reason OF unified opera.
tion."
River Trnnic in Danger.
/ Mr.. McAdoo sent kilograms to-
( day to John o. Ballard, president OF
! tho Merchants Exchange, st. Louis
and jackson Johnson, president of the
st. Louis Chamber OF Commerce, de-
nying that the Railroad Administra.
ton was to abandon Mississippi River
development, and suggested that un-
less the control plan went through
that return of the old competitive con.
ditions of the railroad would kill water
! traffic. The messages were called forth
by kilograms from the two men re.
/ porting rumors that efforts were to bC
made for cancellation of barge and
, towboat contracts and part OF a plar
to throw up the entire development.
! II don't know where you get your
| information, but there is no truth ir
| the report that contracts for barges
for Mississippi River have been can.
celled." Mr.. McAdoo wired in answer
/ Since the Railroad Administration
was committed some time ago to the
purchase OF these barges, of course the
contract will be carried out.
Unless the Congress shall extend tn,
period of Federal control so that g
reasonable opportunity may be af
forded for a fair test OF the value o,
unified railroad operation along with
coordinated inland and waterways op
era ton the experiment on the Missis
sippi River may not hold out mucl
promise. doubt If the Mississippi
River operation can produce satisfac
tory results II the railroads should b.
/ turned back soon to privaAe control"