Connecticut western news., 1918-01-17


 million dollars is to be appropriated under the administration bill for gov ernment operation of railroads.
 The bill providing for this purpose and other measures necessary for the success of government operation were introduced in both house and senate immediately after the President. ad- dressing both chambers assembled in joint session, had told in detail his recommendations for carrying out gov ernment operation. These bills had been prepared in advance under the supervision of the department of jus tice and will receive prompt considera- tion.
 The appropriation of $500,000,000 is to be used as revolving fund" with the excess earnings of the roads ur- der the operation of the law.
 To guarantee proper returns to the roads for the period of government operation the President recommended that Congress provide compensation at the rate of the same net operating income as the roads have received for the three preceding fiscal years.
 To provide for the proper mainte- nance of the roads and their return to the owners in the same order as the government takes them over the Pres tdent recommended legislation to au- thorize their upkeep and betterment for the period of federal operation. Legislation to this effect is all con- tained in the administration bills.
 Only by government operation, the President told Congress, could the unity necessary to the country be ob- tained. He added that existing organ izations of the railroads should be dis turbed as little as possible. He laid especial stress on the guarantees to thenroads and their stockholders.
 Text of Message.
 In addressing Congress President Wilson spoke as follows:
 "Gentlemen of the Congress- have asked the privilege of addressing you in order to report that on December 2S last in the recess of Congress, act ing through the secretary of war and under the authority conferred upon me by the act of Congress approved August %, 1916, I took possession and assumed control of the railway lines of the country and the systems of wa. ter transportation under their con- trol. This step seemed to be impera- lively necessary in the interest of the public welfare, In the presence of the great tasks of war with which we are now dealing. AS our experience de- velops difficulties and makes it clear what they are, I have deemed it my duty to remove those difficulties wher- ever I have the legal power to do so.
 "To assume control of the vast rail- way systems of the country is, real lze, very great responsibility, but to fail to do so In the existing circum- stances would have been much greater. l assumed the less responsibility rath- CT than the weightier.
 "I am sure that I am speaking the mind of all thoughtful Americans when I say that it is our duty as rep resentatives of the nat'on to do ev- erything that it is necessary to do to obtain the complete mobilization of the whole resources of America by as rapid and effective means as can be found. Transportation supplies all the arteries of mobilization. Unless 1t be under a single and unified di- rection the, whole process of the na- tion's action is embarrassed.
 Tt was in the true spirit of Ameri- ca, and it was right, that we should rst try to effect the necessary unifl- cation under the voluntary action of those who were in charge of the great railway properties, and we did try 1t. The directors of the railways respond ed to the need promptly and gener- ously. The group of railway execu- tives who were charged with the task of actual coordination and general direction performed their difficult du- ties with patriotic zeal and marked ability, as was to have been expected, and did, believe, everything that 1t was possible for them to do In the circumstances. If I have taken the task out of their hands 1t has not been because of any dereliction or failure on their part, but only because there were some things which the govern ment can do and private management cannot. We shall continue to value most highly the advice and assistance of these gentlemen, and am sure we shall not find them withholding 1t.
 at has become enthusiastically plain that only under government adminis- tration can the entire equipment of the several systems of transportation be fully and unreservedly thrown into a common service without injurious dis crimination against particular proper ties; only under government adminis- tration can absolutely unrestricted and unembarrassed common use be made of all tracks, terminals, terminal facili- ties and equipment eff every kird.
 "Only under that authority can new terminals he constructed and deVcl-
 -s.