The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-01-10

1 IhOg oAO CAPCSNOA W w Will w AOA
or with and for. the railroads
Perhaps as many as a score Of
men in the Capitol building know
what 1t is all about.
The rest are still as badly be-
logged as are the people and the
newspapers Of the country.
It may be q case where we will!
never know what we are doing IN
til long after It is done. Probably
1t will.
It certainly is . case where we
are not going to do what we have
been supposing. At least not now,
unless there is a change from bot
tom to top in the Sims bill plan OF
Control"
Commissioner George W. Ander-
son, of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. spent the day before the
House committee, continuing his ex-
PLANTATION OF the Sims bill. which
those who may oppose it call the
Administration bill"
The Senate committee, examining
President Alton C. Dustin, Of the
Fort Scott and Western road, and
other railroad executives, asks
searching questions at times. They
tend to raise or confirm a doubt
whether the bill will operate more
for the control of the railroads or
for their relief from real or alleged
suffering from control.
That is the point on which the
public in general will be educated
by results-after seeing the use OF
the Revolving Fund.-" which begins
revolving with half q billion dollars
from the Treasury.
Although 1t may be months, per-
haps years, before It is possible to
learn what the bill means in results,
the developments Of yesterday made
it possible to begin saying very soon
WHAT 1T IS NOT, and what it is
not intended to be.
For example, It is NOT A BILL
FOR TAKING OVER" RAILROADS
in any other sense than that in
which the national banks are al
ready taken over.
Commissioner Anderson incidental
ly remarked before the House COM
mittee that under the system pro-
posed, the public will know no more
about Federal control over the roads
in travelling over their tracks, than
it knows now when II travels over
roads in the hands OF a Federal re-
ceiver.
This may not be q definition. II
is very strong suggestion of the
situation.
The Government will be no nearer
to ownership than il all the roads
were in the hands Of the railroad
dictator" as a Federal receiver. No
matter what his title, he can con-
troll them as a unit or separately,
as far as the national banks are
now controlled-perhaps further in
emergency. But to give them all
benefits Of Federal control that will
be far enough-for the purposes of
the expert financiers OF the rail-
roads themselves. II will make them
safe for the kind OF Triumphant
Democracy" represented by the Car
negie system Of dying poor"
Probabilities of the situation are
that the entire outstanding bonded
debt may be refunded under the sys-
TEN proposed by the bill II may
take a Supreme Court decision to ex-
plain the bill otherwise, If it can be
otherwise explained.
II is also probable that the roads
as a unified and co-Ordinated system
will be completely exempted from
control or interference by State leg.
islatures. This Is what they hate
most.
Another probability is that the bill
represents all the railroads expect |
to surrender to If they fail in fight |
for something better. Usually they
know how to get something better.
The House spent most OF it's time |
yesterday discussing the establish |
ment of Government coal yard In
the District OF Columbia The idea /
was warmly and, at times. fiercely, |
supported. Mr.. Campbell, of Kan |
sas, from the Republican side. drew
narrowing picture of people freez- /
ing all over the country while Demo- /
Gratis were making the country safe f.
for something or other, but were not .
delivering Democratic coal. The de- .
bate closed and the resolution .
passed, after the House was in
formed that it was not discussing
the establishment of a Government
coal yard, but an investigation by
the Secretary Of the Interior of the
need for one.
II may be as difficult To deliver
coal to order from an official in
vestigation OF the need for Il as Il
is from an imaginary coal pile, pro-
vided for the relief of the ultimate
consumer"
]. B. Dugan, inspector Of public
at Columbus, O.. introduced
this statistical coal pile evidence
yesterday before the Senate Commit
tee on Manufactures He testified