New Britain herald., 1918-01-31

| gress IMAGINE that they are attack
| ing McAdoo's railroad adminstra-
| ton. and making political capital for
their party.
They are really attacking other
eminentav respectable republicans
presidents Of the various railroad
systems.
Repubfican railroad prcsidents-if
any one of them is not a republican.
it is largely for advertising PURPOSES
have been and are in charge of the
railroads.
McAdoo took charge three weeks
ago. Naturally he could not dismiss
all the employees, from republican
pullman porters to republican rail-
road presidents.
Zach president of a railroad has
been left in charge of his road, urged
and implored to do his best to help
the country move freight and pas
sengers quickly.
Not a few railroad presidents have
been neglecting the country, think
ing that they would help themselves
keep their jobs and their salaries if
they could make the railroad sys-
tenn even more inefficient than usual,
and discredit government control.
1t is safe to predict that these gen.
tlemen playing politics with the rail-
roads, and playing into the hands of
other republicans in congress, will
receive attention in due time from
McAdoo.
1t is certain, regardless Of playing
politics, regardless Of disloyalty by
heads of railroads, and insincere at
lacks by republicans in congress- that
McAdOO will continue to manage the
railroads, improve them, and in
crease their efficiency-in spite of
the distinguished republican gentle
men that have had and still have
the railroads under their direction
as presidents of the various systems.
Every effort is made to deceive,
bcwilder, and confuse the public as
to railroad management,
You will be told that coal is NOV
ing slowly under the direction of the |
government.
How fast do you suppose coal cars
have moved. on the average, in the |
past? It would be impossible for !
you to guess how ridiculously inef- !
fcient the privately owned railroad |
system has been.
According to statistics which are |
accurate, the average car filled with |
coal moves on American railroads |
"nnty-three miles in twenty-four |
ours. Less than one mile per hour |
In other words, a child four years
old could walk a mile as rapidly as |
privately owned railroads have
moved the coal cars. including stops,
side-tracking, etc.
While cars have been moving thus
Sfr rg1x tho 1,oI ~
pay for the cars used, the tracks, the
locomotives, the time of employees.
Watch the statistics year from
now-and you will find that McAdoo
will have at least doubled the speed
at which coal cars nove--and that |
means doubling the delivery of coal /
and cutting down cost of transporta-
ton.
It is not possible to realize what
conditions would have been in the
recent blizzard had not the presi- |
dent wisely taken control of rail-
roads from private hands whose in
competency was not only proved, but |
confessed,
The government has power. and |
has been using it for the public ben
eft
I'm spite of republican railroad |
presidents, and their republican
friends in congress, the railroad serv-
ice has been infinitely better during
the few days Of governmen t. direction
than it would have been had private
management continued.
The hardships of which the public
complains, without understanding the
cause, would have been one hundred
In re-
ment continued
Before long, the public will realize
the difference between government
control Of railroads and selfish con-
troll.
Before long McAdoo will compel
these republican railroad gentlemen to
their facilities for the public re-
gardless of their selfish, conflicting in
terests.
Meanwhile. let the reader not be |
deceived by republican politicians
concerning the railroads under gov
ernment control.
The republican party rs the party of
private ownership and private ex-
ploitation Of the public.
The republican party Is the party
to which railroad presidents, princes
of incompetency, belong with few, If
any, exceptions.
Republican railroad presidents and
republican congressman combined will
not be able to make the failure that
they hope to make of government
management Of railroads.
Those same republican statesmen
and republican railroad presidents
will not be able to prevent that which
is inevitable. Permanent ownership
Of railroads by the people to whom
the railroads naturally belong.
Warning to republicans, whether
they he railroad presidents or con-