The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-12-12

o. = ~
IN 9llts nocg lllisSs Aays ~ 7
Aqod ~. question u. - T.
A6e ~. ~ aaiisSod - ard for. tha -ptfls,
Nc Ia the future.
Neaas Could Me- Cooperate.
Exceptional circumstances and ex-
eeptionAl methods OF administration
were not needed to convtnce W that
the railroads were MT equal u the
lmmenss tasks of transportation in
posed upon them by tho rapid apd
conttnuous development It tie indds-
tries Of the country. We Snew that
already. and we knew that they were
unequal to It partly because their full
co-operation was rendered impossible
By law and their competition made OBJ
lisatory. 70 that 1t has been impossf-
BILE to assign to them severally the
tramc which could best be carried oy
their respective lines In the Interest OF
expedition and national economy.
The full equipment Of the railways
which the federal administration had
planned could not be completed with
In any such period. The present Law
does net permit the use Of the reve-
nues Of the several roads for the exc
cution Of such plans except BY formal
contract with their directors, some OF
whom win consent, while some WIN
not. and therefore does not afford suf-
acient authority to undertake improve
ments upon tho scale spou which u
would be necessary to undertake them.
Every approach to this difncult suls-
ject matter Of decision brings NJ face
to face. therefore, with this unan-
swered question. What II right that
We should do With, the railroads ip the
interest Of the public and II fairness
to their Owness?
Let me say At once that have no
answer ready. Tho only thing that y
perfectly clear to me il that 1t II mot
fair, either to the public or to the own
ers Of the railroads. to leave the Ques-
tion Unanswered. and that It will pres
entity become my duty to relinQuish
control OF the roads, even before the
expiration Of the statutory period. un-
less there should appear some clear
prospect In the meantime Of 4 legisla-
tive solution. Their release would at
least produce one element of = solu-
tion-namely. certainty and Z quick
stimulation of private lnltiative.s
Several Ptans Psssibls.
] believe that II will be serviceable
for me to ret forth ~ explicitly A. pos-
sible the alternative courses that lie
open to our choice. We can simply re-
lease the roads and 80 back to the old
conditions Of private management, un-
restricted competition and multif0fm
regulation by both state and federal
authorities: OF We can 90 to the oppo-
site extreme and establish complete
government control, accompanied, II
necessary. ~ actual government own
ership; or We can adopt an intsrme-
diate c0Nrse Of modified private con-
tr0i. under q more unihed and a6lrma-
tive public regulation and under such
alterations Of the law ~ will permit
wastsful competition to be avoided
and Q considerable degree OF unifica-
ti0n Of admiaistratien to b effected.
~, for example. BY regional corpora
tioos ua<ser which tie railways q de-
ilnable area would ~ In eject com
blned IN singSs systsus.
The 90 coaciusI1n that an rsady
to stats with confidence u that Il
would Be 4 dlsseevics alike to the eoan-
Try and to the ewnees Of tie railroads
to return to tie Old caoditisns unmod-
iAAA Thosa sfss cpadlAbas ef rss-
traint without development. There y
soothing Affirmative or helpful about
them. What the eo1ntry chiefly nsada
Il that all Its means of transpoetaftoa
should be developed, its railways. its
waterways, its Highways and its coun-
tryBlde roads
New Pslley Necessary.
Some new element Of policy. there
fore. sis absolutely neceesary-neces-
sary for the service Of the public. nee
essary for the release Of credit to
those who are administering the rail-
ways. necessary for the psotection Of
their security holders. Ths old policy
may be changed much or little. but
surely It cannot wisely be left ~ Il
was.
hope that the congress will have
q complete and Impartial study Of the
whole problem instituted at once and
prosecuted as rapidly as possible.
stand ready and anxious to release
the roads from the present control and
I must do 20 at . very early date. u
by waiting until the statutory limit
Of time II reached I shall be utterly
prolonging the period Of doubt and un-
certainty which II hurtful to every In
terest concerned
I welcome this occasion to announce
to the consress my purpose to Join in
Paris the representatives Of the gov
eruments with which We have been
associated in the war against the CEN
tral empires for the purpose VI dis
GUESSING with them the main features