The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-20
HIRAM JOHNSON UPHOLDS
PRESIDENT IN RAILROAD PROBLEM;
DEMANDS GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP

Washington, Feb. 1e.--Hiram John
son, California senator, made 81 ring
ing plea In the senate today for gov
ernment ownership Of railways,
We've paid the price OF private
oYSfzerS's3D, ne cried, land uU01y no
matter what the attitude Of any OF
us: no matter what the barriers or
obstacles, the nation is ma rching
straight 10 the goal Of public owner
ship. The people at last will come
into their own"
Late this afternoon the senate
reached an agreern ert 10 vote on the
administration railway bill on Thurs
day at 2 p, NJ. There will be ltIrll-
tn ton Of speeches and voting will be-
gin No senator will be allowed on any
speak more than ten minutes on any
phase OF the bill until P. NJ. After
that time remarks will be cut to Eve
minute lengths It Is probable the
voting may last into the night, for
many amendments win be offered.
In HIS speech Senator Johnson
said:
THE views which I entertain and
express today upon governmentship
are not the product OF day nor the
result OF recent events. Years and
years OF dealing with the problem OF
railroad transportation In its various
phases finally convinced me that the
only way In which the INTERVIEWING
difficulties OF the railroad situation
could be solved was by the govern
nlsnt itself
War Points the Way.
The American people, for many.
many years, have been dealing with
the intricate ana important question
Of railroad transportation and railroad
cot tpAtFg
success; and just as great crisis have
ever been decided the most momen-
tous world problems. 50 our war. with
our railroads, has finally pointed the
way
The original idea entertained by
those who were managers or builders
Of railroads was expressed by cele-
bratsd railroad fnancier Of the East
In the public b~damned' and By
quite a famous traffic manager OF the
West that WE charge all the traffic
viii bear"
The Californian commented that
some senators seemed to think the
railroads had been more sinnsd
against than shining" and that they
could have perform ed their functions
we'll IL there had not been govern
mental Interference In the past.
"As for myself" he said, II am in
hearty accord with the action taken
by President Wilson. I believe his
seizure OF the railroads was timely
and wise. and not only timely ana
wise. but absolutely necessary Tor the
nation. do not for one moment be-
lieve that the railroads were prevent
ed from performing their fun duty 10
the government by the priority or
ders issued by different departments
recognize that. OWING TO an utter
lack OF system. orders were issued by
one, then another. and then another
OF the departments OF the govern
ment. and that these orders were diff
ficuit of enforc sanent, and interfered.
in some degree. with celebrity OF trans
partation.
Lack OF Capitalization.
such system as has boon de-
velop~d In respect 10 these priority
orders In intolerable. The difficulty,
Of course. has been due to the lack
of correlation and coordination. OF
which 30 much has recently been
heard upon this floor. But, however,
annoying these orders may have been
to the railroad companies, and how
ever they may have sporadicaliy In
terfered. they could not have been
the real cause OF the breakdown OF
the transportation service OF the ma
ton. The senator from Arkansas has
ably dem onstratsd this fact.
For many years past students OF
railway transporta ton have realized
the necessity for some sort OF CEN
tralfxation and naturalization. In
stances have come to the notice of US
circumstances ever recurring ana
ever. increasing--which have proven
that efficient national transportation
demanded railroad naturalization.