Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-12
any Morning IomrneL speclnl Leasea wlreA

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time he expressed himself rs opposed
to government ownership
Recently he asatn expressed dsap-
1 pointment that government mana';e-
mcnt had such limitations, saying that
there was danger of the railroad
question becoming Il political issue in
the elections Of 1890. This would be
unfortunate he said because the rail-
road question WIS purely economic,
and should not properly be cntangled
with political issues
Would Give Composurc
There is one, and to my mind only
| one, practical and wise alternative"
Mr. McAdoo continued "and that is
to extend the period of federal con-
troll from the one year and nine
months provided by the present law
to five years or until the first day of
January 1924 This extension would
take the railroad question out of poll
tics for a reasonable period 1t would
give composure to railroad Officers
and employees. II would admit of the
preparation and carrying out of
comprehensive program Of improve
ments of the railroads and their
terminal facilities which would Inn
mensely increase tho efficiency of the
transportation machine. 1t would put
back of the railroads the credit of the
United States during the five year
period - that the financing of these
| improvements could he successfully
carried out. II would offer the neces-
saiy opportunity under proper condi-
tons to test the value of unified con-
troll and the experience thus gained
would of itself Indicate the permanent
solution Of the rtilroad problem.
Ill
to this test They should not be de-
MED It. Il IS to their interest that II
should be done, In my opinion, II is
! the only practicable and reasonable
method of determining the right solu-
| ton of this grave economic problem
Has No Theory
! 81 am not now and have not been
| for the past year interested in prov
| ing or dsproving the theory of gov
eminent ownership or any other kind
of theory. The railroads have been
| operated for the past year with the
purpose of serving efficiently the
paramount needs of the war and at
the same time furnishing the best pos
sible service to the public. whether
| such operation tended TO prove or dis
| prove any theory Of railroad control.
no matter what it might be- | have
| formed no oniniOn myself MS to what
| Is the best disposition Of the railroad
| problem because the test has not been
| sufficient to prove conclusively the
right solution of the problem. | be-
| lieve that a five year test will give
the American people the right an
swer. An ounce of experience Is
| worth a ton of theory.
| There are those who may say that
! an extension of five years for such
test will mean government owner
! ship Personally ] do not believe IL.
| But whether such d test would ind-
cate that the ultimate solution shall
/ be government ownership or a modt-
| fled form of private ownership under
/ effective federal regulation, should
I not cause us to hesitate or refuse to
act"
If congress does not extend the
| time for government control said Mr..
McAdoo, the railroads should be re-
turned to private management ''at the
earliest possible moment"
! Practical difficulties of continuing
/ government operation under existing
authority, he pointed out, are the
/ growing conflicts of authority be-
| tween state and federal jurisdictions
| inadequacy of the half billion dollar
revolving fund for financing improve
ments. inability to force railroads TO
pay for cars and locomotives without
| litigation, and to require terminal inn
provements
Prosperity Depends on Rails.
Upon the efficiency of the trans
nortation machine in America said
/ Mr.. McAdoo, depends in great meas
ure the future prosperity of the ma
ton. Involved in this prosperity is
| the extension of our foreign trade.
| We produce 50 much more than we
consume that markets must be found
| for that surplus. Those markets are
the competitive markets Of the world.
| We must be able to enter them upon
/ equal terms with any other nation,
| Our transportation system both on
land and water must therefore func-
/ ton at the highest point of efficiency
Land at the lowest possible cost, II we
are to get our reasonable, and fair
share of the worlds trade and in turn
! be able to keep prosperous, con-
/ tented and happy population at home.
ITO attempt to continue federal
control under the inadequate prov's-
ions of the present federal control act
and for the very brief period 1t au-
thorizes, would be to multiply our diff
ficulties and invite failure. On the
other hand. | am convinced from the
experience of the past vear that the
return of the railroads to the old com.
4 petitive conditions will he hurtful
alike to the public interest and TO the
railroads themselves, This course,
| however will bring fewer evils In its
train than the unsatisfactory III not
| impotent federal control provided for
| by the present act. The railroads
were taken over as a war measure.
They have been operated during tho
past year for the paramount purpose
of winning the war, II think 1t will
be generally admitted that the war
service has been successfully rendered
and I am sure that experience of
great value and benefit has been gain
| ed snnt nnlv for the Iilhlir but for the