The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-12-26


make the improvements and impossi-
BILE to secure the hearty cooperation
of the railroad corporations.
Because of the inadequacy of the
present legislation, the authority of
the States and the Federal Govern
ment has been left in doubt by pro-
visions which / opposed when the bill
was under discussion. Conflict be-
tween State and Federal jurisdictions
will grow more acute under this law.
The revolving fund appropriated by
the Congress will be insufficient to
carry the Federal operation for a
two-year period. Wore than that, it
is of the utmost Importance to the
commerce, industry, and life of the
American people that comprehen-
sive program of improvements to rail-
road properties shall be carried for
ward over a period of at least five
years; such a program will involve
expenditures of at least $500, 000,0 900
per annum or So, 100000 for the
fve-year period. The needed funds
are not provided by the present law.
Moreover, it is difficult under the
present law, without the consent of
the corporations, to carry forward a
comprehensive plan of joint improve
ments, which, to be of value to the
public, must of itself disregard the
selfish and irreconcilable competitive
interests of the various carriers. !
Many terminal improvements, to be
genuinely serviceable to the public,
must be made without regard to the
interest of any particular carrier.
Therefore, agreements between the |
Government and the railroads affect
ed will, in many instances, be impos-
sible, and if the Government should |
proceed with such improvements, US
ing the peoples money for the pur-
pose, without securing the carriers
consent, litigation would undoubtedly
arise upon the termination of Federal
control with the danger that large
part of the Governments investment
in the properties might be lost.
Upon the efficiency of the transpor-
tation machine in America depends in
great measure the future prosperity
of the Nation. Involved in this pros
perity is the extension of our foreign
trade. We produce so 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 upon equal terms with any 9th
er nation. Our transportation sys-
TEN, both on land and water, must
therefore function at the highest
point of efficiency and at the lowest
possible cost, if we are to get our
reasonable and fair share of the
worlds trade and in turn be able to
keep a prosperous, contented, and
happy population at home.
To attempt to continue Federal
control under the inadequate provis-
ions of the present Federal control
act and for the very brief period it
authorizes, would be to multiply our
difficulties and invite failure. On the
other hand l am convinced from the
experience of the past year, that the
return of the railroads to the old COM
petitive conditions will be hurtful
alike to the public interest and to the
railroads themselves. This course,
however, will bring fewer evils in its
train than the unsatisfactory, if not
impotent, Federal control provided
for the present act. =
The railroads were taken over as a
war measure They have been oper- !
ated during the past year for the =
paramount purpose of winning the
war. | think it will be generally ad-
mitted that the war service has been
successfully rendered, and l am sure
that experience of great value and .
benefit has been gained not only for
the public but for the railroads them
selves during this brief test. =
There is one, and to my mind only !.
one, practicable and wise alternative,
and that is to extend the period of "
Federal control from the one year y
and nine months provided by the y
present law to five years, or until the :,
first day of January, 1924. This ex- !,
tension would take the railroad ques-
ton out of politics for reasonable .
period. 1t would give composure to
railroad officers and employees. 1t -
would admit Of the preparation and =
carrying out of comprehensive pro- e
gram of improvements of the rail- :.
roads and their terminal facilities Il
which would immensely increase the =
efficiency of the transportation ma .
chine. 1t would put back of the rail- !;
roads the credit of the United States ~
during the five-year period so that the y
financing of these improvements .
could be successfully carried out. 1t
would offer the necessary opportunity .
under proper conditions to test the
value of unified control, and the ex-