New-York tribune., 1918-06-17
Next to Winning War He
Wants to Promote Sym
pathy, He Says
Issues Statement
Outlining Policy
Seeks Better Relations Be-
tween Companies, En-
ployes and Public

WASHINGTON, June 16.--In COM
prehensive statement of policy made
public to-day Director General McAdoo
declared the railroad administration's
aims in order of Importance are to win
the war by moving troops and war
material promptly, to give efficient
service to the public, to promote SYM
pathy and understanding among the
railroad arrangements, employees and
patrons and to apply sound business
policies to railway operation.
He said he hoped future development
would "humanize the science of rail-
roading and negative the idea that cor
porations have no souls"
"The policy of the United States
railroad administration" said the di-
rector general, "has been formed and
shaped by a desire to accomplish the
following purposes, which are named
in what l conceive to be the order Of
their Importance:
First, the winning of the war.
which includes the prompt movement
of the men and material that the gov
ernment requires. To this everything
else must be subordinated
Public Service Is Next to War
"Second, the service of the public,
which is the purpose for which the rail-
ways were built and given the priv
ileges accorded chem. This implies the
maintenance and improvements of the
railroad properties so that adequate
transportation facilities will be pro-
vided at the lowest cost, the object of
the government being to furnish service
rather than to make money.
Third, the promotion of spirit of
sympathy and better understanding
as between the administration Of the
railways and their two million en-
ployes, as well as their one hundred
million patrons, which latter class in
cludes every individual in the nation,
since transportation has become, a
prime and universal necessity of civil-
lied existence.
Fourth, the application of sound
economies, including:
"(a) The elimination of superduous
expenditures.
"(b) The payment Of fair and living
wage for services rendered and just
and prompt compensation for injuries
received
"(c) The purchase of material and
equipment at the lowest prices consist
ent with q reasonable but not an ex-
cessive profit to the producer.
~(d) The adoption of standardized
equipment and the introduction of ap-
proved devices that will save life and
labor
"(E)-The routing of freight and
passenger traffic with due regard to
the fact that straight line is the
shortest distance between two points
"(F)-The intensive employment Of
all equipment and careful record and
scientific study of the results obtained,
with view to determining the COM
parative efficiency secured.
An Immense Task
"The development of this policy will,
of course, require time. The task to
which the railroad administration has
addressed itself is an immense one.
1t is as yet too early to judge of the
results obtained, but ] believe that
great progress has been made toward
the goal of our ideals. All those who
have had q share in this great work,
including especially the members of
my staff and the officers and employees
of the railways, have shown intelli-
gence, public spirit, loyalty and en-
thusiasm in dealing with problems that
lave already beer solved and attacking
those that still await solution.
"With their continued cooperation I
feel assured of future in which the
lessons of our accumulating experience
will be effectively employed to human
ize the science Of railroading and
negative the idea that corporations
have no souls"