The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-24

system would be under some othel
Administrative system than that Of
direct Government control.
The distinction may seem meta.
physical, but II Is not really 30. We
cannot say what sort Of uniied rail-
road system the Secretary Of the
Treasury and Director Of Federal
Railroads is pondering while he con.
ducts this tremendous experiment,
for he does not attempt to 20 into
details. Yet 1t 10 certain that he
himself makes the distinction; for
while he says on the one hand that
he hopes to demonstrate the merits
Of a unified system. he says with
equal clearness on the other hand
that II makes no difference to him
whether his achievements further or
retard the possibility Of permanent
Government control; the people will
settle that matter when the time
comes
Number Two of Mr.. McADoo's
frank avowals, therefore, Is that in
administering the railroads Of the
United States with all Of his extraor.
binary energy and ability he Is gov
srned By q double purpose: first, by
his legal or Official duty to make
them a. efiicient as possible for the
winning Of the war; and secondly,
BY . theoretical deslgn to. demon
strate that q UNIFIED railroad system
mot necessarily Q permanent Gov
eminent control) IL q good thing for
the country and tn people.
III.
Is Mr.. McADo0 succeeding In that
dsmonstrs tionf His own observa-
ton Is that the general railroad stu.
alton throughout the country Is salts
factory, in spite Of the grave short
age Of passenger coaches. In Ger
tain places, he says. there is an i'm
provement in passenger trafic condi-
tons since Government control was
established.
The most impressive statement to
the contrary was that which Senator
SNoor Of Utah made about n fort
night ago. not In q formal speech Of
indictment Of Uncle SAM as. q rail-
road manager, but incidentally In the
course Of somewhat desultory dis
cusslon Of the transportation service.
Nevertheless, the statements and
opinions Of the Utah Senator at.
tracted at the time as much atten-
tion, and perhaps expressed public
sentiment as fully, as II they had
been more deliberately conceived and
more formally presented.
To q eulogy by Senator PrTrMAN
Of Government control Mr.. SMoor
replied:
Unless something takes place BE-
tween now and the frst day Of De-
csmber the side tracks viii b TANNED
with cars Of coal again. and the people
Of the United States will b freezing at
least - much ~ they did last winter"
Il wish to ask the Senator u he does
not believe that IL ths railroads were
under the same management a. they
were before the Government took them
ovsr--I msan 40 far ~ passenger travel
IL concerned-thers would Be Q rebel
lion against such service a. u now pro-
vidsd for the travelling pubiicf The
people would not stand for the service
by the railroads a. far as passenger
trafic IL concerned that they are re-
ceiving to-day under Government con-
troll from any corporation. person or
company that might operate a rail-
road
Trains have been taken of by the
hundreds and the accommodations that
are furnished the people by the railroads
are nothing compared with what they
ware before the roads were taken over by
the Government. It u true that wages
have been advanced and no doubt will
be again before the next election"
1t will BE- observed that Senator
SNoor's dscourasing prophecy re-
gardlng conditions In coal transpor-
tation next winter was qualified BY
the saving clause unless something
takes place between now and the
nrst Of December" Perhaps some
thing win take place between now and
then. The people, at any rate, be-
fore preparing to freeze to death on
account Of an unnecessary shortage
Of transportation, are waiting to see
whether that something does take
place.
The Utah Senator's general state-
ment concerning the deterioration Of
the passenger service Of the country
was broadly true. Few who travel
much will maintain that under Gov
eminent management the arteries
and veins and caplllaries Of the cir
culatory system Of the United States
are now in as good condition rs they
were before Washington took charge.
The cost to the passenger has been
enormously increased, as everybody
knows who has to buy a ticket. but
that IL partly due to the circum-