Republican farmer., 1918-02-15
UNNECESSARY TO
TAKE RAILROADS,
ASSERTS KELLOGG

Washington, Feb. l3-The opinion
that President Wilson's action in
taking over the railroads was I'M
necessary because as good results
would have been obtained by the car
riers with proper government CO.
operation was expressed in the Senate
today by Senator Kellogg, a member
of the Senate interstate commerce
committee. He declared that had the
railroad heads been given full meas
ure of assistance the government
would have escaped the necessity of
guaranteeing the carriers an income
for the use of the properties taken
over.
Senator Kellogg spoke in support
of the committees amended draft Of
the administration railroad bill which
he said reflects the best judgment
of the administration and the COM
mittee." Although he did not agree
with the President and his advisers
on the railroad question, the Mime
sofa Senator said he intended doing
everything possible ito strengthen
and facilitate government operation
and insure justice to the people, the
railroads and the vast army of Sc
curity holders"
The executive committee of rail-
road heads, the senator said, greatly
co-ordinated the transportation facfli-
ties and enormously increased traffic,
but were hampered by certain laws
and restrictions which should have
been abolished.
"The railroads should have been
supported by government authority, -
he continued. ito operate as a unit.
Bearing in mind that the congestion
was simply in the eastern and north
eastern territory. I am constrained
to believe that as great service could
have been obtained through the gov
ernment's cooperation as by taking
over the roads"
Senator Kellogg approved the COM
pensation provided in the bill and
said:
ga guarantee by the government of
a permanent income on an investment
would be reasonable at very much
lower rate, but the guarantee in this
case is only for the period of the war
and a short time thereafter and
therefore it should, as near as posi-
bile, represented the earning capacity
of the roads over a reasonable term
of years."
The plan submitted originally by the
administration giving the president
absolute power to fix rates was de-
nounced by Senator Kellogg. eft is
appalling he declared, ito say that
because we are at war the country's
entire rate making structure and the
absolute power to change rate, af-
fecting the billions of dollars of rail
road property and hundreds of mil
lions of dollars Of commerce shall be
placed in the hands of one man, with
out the right of appeal"
Senator Kellogg said he believed the
provision in the bill terminating gov.
eminent control within Is months af-
ter the war should be retained.
'T have no doubt that under the
war power" he added, congress may
keep the railroads for reasonable
time after the termination of the war
But to keep them an indefinite time
and pay rent therefor is obtaining
property by false pretenses so far as
the American people are concerned
I am not yet prepared to take a step
| that will force government operation
on the people of this country. That
question should be met by the Amer
lean people squarely and fairly, I'M
hampered by any other issue and
should the time come when the people
deem it wise to take over the rail-
roo 6c THAR mandate iS final -