The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-05-30
REORCANIZED
RY. SYSTEMS
Canals to be Utilized for Transports
ton Purposes Regardless of. Divi-
dends to One Set of Stockholders
or Another.
OWNERSHIP TO REMAIN
Expert Help Reduced to the Ranks-
Federal Reclamation is Cheapest
and Best Federal Commission Hits
at Bribery.

~ 0F1DeEys "a
Washington, D. c., May 27.-Re-
gardless Of theories and possible after
effect Of legislation on public owner
ship, the government is going ahead
and putting into effect plans for the
fullest and most efficient use of the
railway systems Of the country. The
wholesale discharge Of railway presi-
dents and the unemployment Of most
these officials as directors at much
lower salary is an indication of the
direction which Director General Nc
Adoo is doing in establishing efficien-
cy and in getting from our transporta-
tion lines the greatest amount Of ser
vice.
To carry out this policy, the rail-
roads, the canals, freight yards and all
land and water terminals of steam
ship and railroad lines are to merged
into one system under the govern
ment's general management.
One of the biggest reasons why pri-
vate operation Of railroads broke down
was that roads had competed ruin
ously in shutting one another out and
in, keeping the boat lines from the use
of terminal connections. Under the
government operation the old feud be-
tween the railroads and the public
along the navigable rivers and canals,
which arose when the railroads choak-
ae doff water competition is settled.
Under the new management freight
will move the cheapest way regard
less Of dividends to one set of stock
holders or another. The waterways,
which had fallen to a low estate Of
service will experience revival, and
many rivers and canals will blossom
once again with the carriers of COM
merce.
Coal BY Waterways.
Grain, coal. and cotton-every pro-
duct that is not perishable- will be
shifted from rail to water, as soon as
possible, over canals, rivers, lakes
and coastwise routes. Ports, such as
Boston will be given more and better
wharves and docks and the coal sup
ply of New England will be carried
to it by water at a reduced cost. From
Pennsylvania coal will be carried to
Buffalo by canal barges and from
there by lake to Duluth, Chicago, Mil
waukee and other lake ports.
But the government will not wait
for the slow and uncertain ways Of
private enterprise to develop these
waterways. An appropriation of $685.
100000 has been asked for to improve
Gulf, Atlantic and Lake ports. That
will be but q beginning. The first
fifty power barges and the first fifty
tugs for river and canal haulage, now
being constructed, will be followed by
others very quickly. The program
covers the entire United States.
The Railroad Administration is
working to avoid any wasteful jour-
neys Of freight. When the proper
ports are designated for various ship
ments, the distance Of land haul will
be lessened in many instances. All
Of the new works will be put on q
permanent basis. Commissioner Stew
ems Of the Shipping Board was sent
abroad to study docks and harbors in
Europe and the latest and most inn
proved methods will be used every
where.
Ownership to Stay.
No one who has any opportunity to
note the improvements that have al
ready been made in transportation ser
vice under government control, the
cheapening Of cost and the increase
IN the volume Of business can have
any doubts that the government is
permanently in the railroad business.
It is hardly possible that the people
would consent to go back to the old,
cumbersome, costly and inefficient sys-
tenn.
One Of the minor benefits to ship
pers will be the simplifcation Of the
freight bookkeeping. Under the old
system shipments that had to be sent
over several routes were the subject
Of endless controversy. Many freight
tariffs had to be consulted, end sone-
times bill Of goods would be sub
iected to different classi6cations with
D different rate on each route. Ia the
large centers railroad adjusters main
tanned expensive officers to transact
their business Of recovering for ship,
pers overcharges il freight. These
cyercharges were made through ignor-
ance, because the entire system was.
% complicated. Now these experts
win have 70 hunt new jobs. II,
Expert Help Reduced.
This will mean also = great saving
- ~ operating force of the Interstate