Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-01-10
Suggests Legislation to Carry Out
u; S. Operation of Lines.
SEEKS HALF BILLION FUND
Administration Bill Provides that Gov
eminent Control Shall Obtain
Throughout the War and Until
Congress Shall Hereafter
Order Otherwise.

son laid before congress his recon-
! mendations for legislation to carry out
government Operation of railroads and
administration bills to that purpose
were introduced Immediately in both
| houses
While the president in his address
laid stress on the Importance of prop
erly preserving the properties for their
return, the administration bill speclh-
cally provides that government control
shall obtain throughout the war and
until congress shall thereafter order
otherwise"
$500,000,000 Fund Urged.
The presidents program, besides
calling for a $5OO,OOO,OOO appropriation
to be used as a revolving fund with
railroad income for operation and
maintenance, calls for compensation to
the roads at the rate Of their net oper-
ating income for the last three fiscal
years. Any deficiencies would be paid
out of the $5OOOOO,OOO fund and mean
while no railroad may increase it's div
dends; roads that have skipped divi-
| dends may resume with rates fixed by
the president.
One section Of the proposed law con-
sidered very significant lays heavy
penalty on anyone who impedes pos
session, use, operation or control of
the roads, 1t is considered as preclud-
| ing strike.
All new railroad financing would be
under the approval of the president
| and the government would be author
lied to support railroad credit by buy
ing railway securities and hold them
| for better markets.
All advances of money to the roads or
expenditures for betterments would be
reimbursable to the government.
I The Presidents Message.
"Gentlemen of the Congress:
have asked the privilege of addressing
you in order to report to you that on
the 2Sth of December last, during the
recess of congress, acting through the
secretary of war and under the au-
| thority conferred upon me by the act
Of congress, approved August 20, 1916,
II took possession and assumed con-
troll of the railway lines Of the coun-
try and the systems Of water trans
portation under their control. This
step seemed to be imperatively neces-
sary in the interest of the public well
fare, in the presence Of the great task
of war with which we are now dealing.
81 am sure that I am speaking the
mind of all thoughtful Americans when
I say that it is our duty as the repre-
Sentatives Of the nation to do every
| thing that it is necessary to do to Sc.
| cure the complete mobilization of the
whole resources of America by as rap
id and effective means as can be found.
"Unless it be under a single and
united direction, the whole process
of the nations action is embarrassed.
"It had become Enthusiastically plain
that only under government admins
tration can the entire equipment of
the several systems of transportation
be fully and unreservedly thrown into
| a common service without injurious
discrimination against particular prop
critics. Only under government admin
istration can an absolutely unrestrain-
ed and unembarrassed common use be
made of all tracks, terminals, terminal
| facilities and equipment of every kind.
| Only under that authority can new ter
minals be constructed and developed
without regard to the requirements or
| limitations Of particular roads. } But
| under government administration all
these things will be possible-not in
| stantly but as fast as practical diff
culties which cannot be merely con-
| jured away, give way before the new
management.
''The common administration will be
carried out with as little disturbance
of the present operating organizations
and personnel Of the railways as posi-
BILE. Nothing will be altered or dis
turbed which 1t is not necessary to
disturb.
while the present authority Of the
executive suffices for all purpose Of
administration, and while of course all
private interests must for the present
give way to the public necessity, it is,
am sure you will agree with me, right
and necessary that the owners and
creditors of the railways, the holders
OF their stocks and bonds, should re-
ceive from the government an unqual-
ified guarantee that their proportion
will be maintained throughout the pc
Rod Of federal control In as good re-
pair and as complete equipment as at
present and that the several roads will
receive under federal management
such compensation as is equitable, and
just alike to their owners and to the
general public. I would suggest the
average net railway operating income
of the three years ending June 80.
1917. I earnestly recommend that
these guarantees be given by appropri-
ate legislation, and given as promptly
as circumstances permit.
Il need not point out the essential
justice of such guarantees and thev