New-York tribune., 1918-12-13
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ownership" he asserted. ''They
should be returned to their owners af-
ter necessary legislation has been en-
acted"
Senator Pomerene, prominent
Democrat of the Interstate Commerce
Committee, and perhaps one of the
most progressive Democrats in the up
per House, made the following pointed
observation:
II live in Ohio. but on this question
come from Missouri"
Smith in Fighting Mood
Chairman Ellison d. Smith of the
Interstate Commerce Committee, which
handles all legislation pertaining to
railroads, called a meeting of his com
mittce for next Thursday to take up
the question. In conversations with
his colleagues he voiced hot opposition
to Mr.. McAdoo's fve-year proposal.
Some of his fellow Senators said the
chairman would be found by the Ad-
ministration to be far from the COM
plaisant and obedent servant he had
proved during the war.
One Senator said tonight he had
talked to almost one-half of the MEM
bers Of. the Senate, with the result
that he found one man who favored
the McAdoo plan and four who were
non-committal, all the remainder be-
ing opposed to it. A diligent search
at once instituted by group of news
paper men, however, failed to smoke
out the one who openly favored the
five-year plan.
Senator LaFollette said he did not
wish to say anything at this time, but
that he would make speech on the
subject in the near future.
Solution Up to Congress
The general disposition in the two
houses seems to be that both the Presi-
dent and Mr.. McAdoo have now threat
ened the speedy return of the railroads
unless there is Congre ssonal action,
and that it is up to Congress to work
out the problem-not in the short ses-
sion which expires on March a, but
with careful consideration during the
next two years.
1t is fully realized that under the law
the President can return the roads to
their owners at any time, without even
H. Il
if he should SO elect. 1t is not be-
lieved, however, that the President
would take the responsibility for the
consequences which might follow the
return of the roads under the old con-
ditions when he knew Congress was
working out permanent solution.
In short, it is not believed on Capitol
Hill that Mr.. McAdoo will be permitted
to carry out what was generally termed
by Senators and Represe to-day
his threat, or even that he would be
willing to take the responsibility if the
President should permit him to do so.
Oscar w. Underwood, of Alabama, for
instance, that Congress should work
out the problem with care and study,
hearing all sides at length before the
committee, SO that justice could be
done to all.
Pressure by Shippers
The pressure from the country on
the matter comes from various
sources, judging from the mail which
floods into Washington. The most
strenuous insistence that the roads
should be returned to their private
owners comes not from the owners
themselves, apparently, but from the
shippers.
Representatives of the shippers be-
leve that with the return of the roads
to their private owners it will be pos
sible to force a reduction of the
freight rates, taking off the Is per cent
horizontal increase put on by Mr.. Nc
Adoo to compensate the government
for the wage increases he granted.
While there is general clamor for
the reduction of the passenger fare
increases, this is not so we'll organ
ized or represented as are the advo-
Gates Of reduction in freight rates
The pressure for continuance of
the present system, or permanent gov
ernment operation, comes chiefly from
the railroad employees, who believe that
that they will receive higher wages
from the government, or under the
present hybrid system, than they
would from private owners in a period
in which it is possible that prices
may be declining.
Stockholders Not Unit
The pressure from the railroad stock
holders, according to Senators and Rep
resentatives, is net nearly SO insistent
as that of either the shippers or en-
ployes. This is because the stockhold-
ers are not unit. Many of them whose
views have been set forth in letters
favor the return Of the roads to their
owners as speedily as possible, but, Of
course, the stockholders are more in
terested in the conditions under which
the roads may be returned.
Aside from the opposition to the
actual proposal, there were many criti-
cisms of the announcement that the
President favored the fve-year test
period, following so quickly on his owY
statement to Congress that he sub
mitted this problem to Congress for its
counsel, having no solution Of his own
Senator Townsend, of Michigan, was
one who characterized this as "cleal
manifestation of duplicity"
Other Senators expressed themselves
as follows:
Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania
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