Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-05
GOVERNMENT TURNS
SHORT LINE ROADS
BACK TO OWNERS
Legislation to Prevent Action
Anticipated One Hour-Fair
Treatment for About 1900
Lines Assured

WASHINGTON, June 29.-About loo
short line railroads were turned back
to private management Today by the
railroad administration, few hours be-
fore congress passed legislation intend
ed to prevent the REIMBURSEMENT OF
many of them. Between 800 and 4OO
of the roads relinquished had sought 10
remain under government management.
About four hundred short lines were re-
tanned, as part of the national system.
Announcement of the action was with
held by the railroad administration I'M
til less than an hour before the legls-
lation which would have stopped II was
finally enacted. 1t was explained that
the course was made necessary by the
railroad acts provision requiring the
government to decide before July
which short lines would be retained and
which relinquished. Railroad admins
tration officials also explained that since
the legislation was not taken up by
either house of congress until about
o'clock this afternoon. they could not
know whether it would be enacted. The
legislation, therefore, is virtually NULL
fed.
Some May BE Taken Back
More than 1900 of the roads turned
back to private management were IN
dustrial or plant facility lines. or 9TH
ers which did not seek to remain I'M
der government control, and over which
no issue existed Many of those re-
linquished may be taken back later, 1t
was announced, and all will be given
fair divisions of joint rates, insured a
reasonable car supply, and protected
against undue disturbance in traffic
routing. Special study will be given
the problems by a new short line section
of the railroad administration.
Short lines represent about thirty
thousand miles of track in the United
States, or about one-seventh of the to-
tai railway mileage.
The Legislation
The legislation of congress was in
the form of a resolution extending from
July l to January 1, the period in which
the railroad administration would have
been forced to decide the course AFFECT
ing the short lines with an amendment
providing that lines in competition or in
physical connection with railways OPP
Grated by the government should not be
turned back to private management
against their will.
The original resolution was introduce
ed by request of Director General Nc
Adoo, on his representation that the
railroad administration had had insult
ficient time to consider its policy to-
ward many short lines. The amendment
was added by friends of the lines which
have insisted that they could no. op-
crate profitably in competition with
government operated railways, consid-
ering re-routing and other practices mi
tiated by the railroad administration.
The names of the short lines relin-
uuished will be announced Monday by
the railroad administration, although
kilograms notifying the presidents of
these roads of the action were sent out
| today.
Approved by Wilson -.,
The railroad administrations r. state
ment announcing it's action, specifically
approved by President Wilson, said:
$50 far as it has been practicable, in
such a complicated matter, to develop
the facts up to the present time, it has
become apparent that there are large
nrnlbers of the shorter railroads whose
federal control is not needful or desir-
able.
The railroad administration has
therefore provided that all such rail-
roads be relinquished, except in cases
where it has already been ascertained
that it is needful and desirable that
such railroads shall be under federal
control
in taking this action, the railroad
administration is mindful of the para
mount importance of preserving the To-
cal public service performed by the rail-
roads which may be relinquished and
| is also solicitous that no injury or in
justice shall be done to the owners of
such railroads 1t may be that the Gre
alton of federal control over railroad
| systems in general will tend to change
unfavorably the situation of many of
these smaller roalroads, unless special
care shall be taken to avoid such I'M
| favorable results, with consequences
detrimental both to the local public
service and to the just interests of the
railroad owners.
Fairness Assured
ITO avoid these consequences and to
preserve in every reasonable respect a
status for the railroads so relinquished
as favorable as that which they enjoyed
! during the three-year test period (the
three years ended June 80. 1870, great
care will be taken to see that the rail-
roads so relinquished are given fair di-
visions of joint rates, are insured a rea-
sonable car supply-circumstance con-
sidered and are protected against any
undue disturbance in the routing of
traffic.
I'm order to make sure that a con-
tlnuing study and supervision shall be
provided for the carrying out of the
policy thus outlined, there will be Gre
ated at once in the railroad adminfstra-
tons division of public service and ac-
counting a short line railroad section
the manager Of which will be charged
with the special duty of ascertaining
what is necessary in order to give as to
these matters reasonable protection to
the railroads relinQuiShed.
1T may be that instances will an
pear where federal control of railroads
now relinquished is in fact needful
or desirable. In such cases there will
be no hesitation in taking the action
necessary to put such railroads under
federal control
In general, it is the definite policy
OF the railroad administration to see
that all short line railroads receive fair
and considerable treatment"
Officials of the railroad administra-
| ton said they hoped the action would
( not be regarded as defiance of congress
Members of congress declared it would
have been possible TO delay sending
the messages Of REIMBURSEMENT until
| tomorrow.
The attitude of officials opposed TO
keeping all short lines is that it would
constitute an unnecessary financial risk
| for the government, since many short
| roads were organized for financial or
| tactical reasons rather than