The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-01-03
NJ AD00 TO GUT
TRAIN SERVICE
ELIMINATES ALL UNNECESSARY
TRAFFIC AS FIRST STEP
RAIL HEADS ASKED TO AID
Director General Orders Executives to
Continue opsration Of Lines
and increase Eff
cheney. sns

SlCHCys A-h Il ttE
Washington, Dec 20.-William @.
McAdoo, director general of railroads,
sent the following telegram to the pres
ldent and board of directors of every
railroad in the country: ta3
Having assumed the duties i'm
posed upon me by and in pursuance of
the proclamation of the president,
dated December 20, 1917, you will, un-
til otherwise ordered, continue the OPP
Grafton of your road in conformity with
the said proclamation.
"You are required to make every
possible effort to increase efficiency
and to move traffic by the most con-
venient and expeditions routes. 1 con-
fidently count ON your hearty co-opera-
ton. 1t is only through united efforts,
unselfish service and effective work
that this war can be won and Americas
future secured. On lgt.,
.W. G. M'ADoo, q
director General of Railroads"
McAdoo Makes Plans.
Director General McAdoo announced
these other plans:
Immediate relief for the crowded ter
minal situation In New York and New
Jersey.
Reduction of unnecessary passenger
and freight trains.
Government TO pay for it's passenger
and freight transportation. -
Railroads to keep their own books.
Quickest and most direct routing.
carrying with it common use of rail-
road facilities and abolition of ship
pers choice of routing.
The railways war board put these
suggestions up to Director General Nc
Adoo:
Immediate reduction of traffic facili-
ties for nonessential commodities.
Congressional appropriation for
working fund.
Rail War 5oard Stays.
The drafting of the railroad war
board into government service was
Secretary McAdoo's first act.
The five railroad executives. trans
portation experts, will work ont 1plans
for the amalgamation of the country's
rail systems into one great national
unit. They are:
Fairfax Harrison, president of the
Southern railway.
Julius Kruttschnitt, chairman of the
board of the Southern Pacific.
Samuel Rea, president of the Penn
sylvania.
Hale Holden, president of the Bur
Iington. ...-.....
Howard Elliott of the New Haven
Doubts Pooling Plan. #ss
Commenting on the pooling of rail-
road traffic, Mr.. Harrison said:
"Traffic pooling is relic of the
dark ages of railroad operation, and
l do not know whether it can be sue
cessfuily accomplished now. All the
railroads have more traffic now than
they can possibly haul. They believe
they are operating the roads as eff
GENTLY as can be done under govern
ment or any other sort of. control"
At a conference, railroad executives
told Secretary McAd0o what the rail-
roads consider their needs in the way
of guarantees and the encouragement
of security issues. Operating prob
lens were thoroughly discussed.
Payne McAsdoo Aid.
,sohn Barton Payne of Chicago at
tended the conference and his pres
ence led to the belief that he might
be named as an assistant to Mr.. Me-
Adoo. 4tn ~.
The rail heads were, apparently
much better satisfied after the confer
ence. Hale Holden declared the lines
would at once work out a plan for
economy and for the pooling Of all
freight movements. He said the pool
ing arrangement would relieve conges-
ton.
At the conclusion of the conference
Secretary McAdoo said he would is
sue no orders for the present, but
would wait for recommendations from
the railroad war board.
whatever can be done to make the
roads more efficient will be done as
soon as we find out what is necessary,
he said.
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