The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-22
URGES RAILROADS
BE- KEPT FOR time
IuI,a,! safes should 80. Return
Them E;ght After The War. Says
MCNdU0-EucI Problem Easing up

McAdua-r'ueI Problem Easing up
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2I.--Duector
General McAdoo told the Senate In
ter+,ate CCmmeice COMMITTEES today
he thought the Government should
retain operation or the railroads Tor
some time AFTER peace comes ana
not return them 10 private owner
ship anti. ncH and comprehensive
laws had been enacted TO govern ,
them.
III should be borne in mind, said !.
Mr.. McAdoo. that by the end OF the ,
war the public and shippers will be
accustomed to dealing with the Gov
eminent and | Am. convinced that a
thorough time should be given at the
end OF the war before the railroads I
are turned back to their owners. !
An entire new situation. he thou !
sht. would be faced when peace
came that would have TO be met by /
new and comprehensive laws and .
that ii would be injurious to the
stockholders to throw the railroads
oack into private operation without
first adopting comprehensive and
rational legislation" This. ne
thought, would take time.
eminent ownership" asked Senator
Watson.
No" replied Mr.. McAdoo, but L
| do believe it will be impossible to
turn the roads back to their owners
under exactly the same system by
which they were operated when the
Government took them over. There
must be some form of Government
| control
Senator Watson asked if the rail
roads, under Government control,
would not continue to operate under
| their old management except for or
ders given from time to time by the
| Director General.
1.-THE fundamental principles OF
| operation have been changed by Or
| ders already given" Mr.. McAdoo
said, land others are in contempla-
! ton which change entirely the rout-
| ing of traffic
Director General McAdoo denied
| that he had anything to do with the
| fuel-restriction order. He said he
| approved the order and thought 1t
| would be very beneficial.
McAdoo indicated, however, that
! if weather conditions improved, 1t
| might not be necessary for the fuel
| order to remain in effect as long as
| indicated. He declared the trans
| portation situation was being great
| ly improved and that the entire fuel
| problem could be worked out so that
| his office could effect a better dis
| tribution.
| 1T must be remembered that the
step taken is not permanent" MI.
| McAdoo continued. But in order to
| handle the situation the Government
took the step. The measure is an
| emergency measure and the compen-
| sation is an emergency step. | am
/ convinced that the basis proposed is
! fair and reasonable, and l am par
| ticularly convinced that it is fair
| and reasonable basis because of the
| peculiar and optional character of
| the method of control"
Senator Watson asked if the fuel
| order was to relieve the fuel or the
transportation situation.
Il think BOTH" Mr.. McAdoo re-
| piled Not only was the coal dis
| tribution unequal, but the congestion
interferred with the movement of
coal The weather during the last
four weeks has also interfered."
Were you party to the propo-
sition?" asked Senator Watson.
No." McAdoo replied. But l
approve of it. l think it will be a
very large benefit. l assume with
reasonable weather we are going to
improve the situation I hope the
order won't have to stand as long as
indicated"