The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-20
SEC. NJ ADOO
| RETALIATES
PLANNED Merchant Marine
in 1914, but Was
Defeated
N. Z. BUSINESS MEN
WERE TO BLAME
One Reason for the Present
Shortage of Coal-Col-
liers Coming Back

| Washington, Feb 20-"Let them talk
I can't do anything for them" appeared
to be the frame of mind in which Will
| liam G.. McAdoo, director general of rail
roads, received the New England coal
pilgrims Monday afternoon, Indeed, Mr.
| McAdoo no less smartly raped the
knuckles of the chambers OF commerce
and boards of trade which defeated his
shipping bill three years ago and placed
upon them the responsibility for loss
of two years in the requirement OF a
merchant marine. This was the bill sent
to Congress by Secretary McAdoo in Au-
gust, 1914. providing for government
owned and operated merchant marine,
which Congress refused to enact until the
government had been divorced from the
operation of the proposed fleet and pro
vision had been made for transferring It
to private hands. Mr. McAdoo took a
fling at the "men who had filibustered
against the bill' and remarked that
while there is great deal of talk now
adavs about lack of foresight in plan
ming, il might be well, for the sake OF
the lesson, to recall that he had done his
planning at that time and that business
interests had defeated him.
Mr.. McAdoo told the New England
manufacturers that the coal situation
looked to him little more hopeful. He
produced figures showing that from Feb.
2 to Feb II, ,692 tons of bituminous
coal had been loaded for New England
at Newport News and that the number
of vessels being loaded was increasing.
at looks to me as if you would get a
great deal more by water than you have
been getting" said the director general
"and ] see some hope in the situation
Mr.. McAdoo quoted figures showing that
in the nine days up to Feb. Is, almost
10000 tons of hard and soft coal had
been started from gateway rail points
Tor New England. 81 have those figures,
said Edward Greene Duncan, speaking
for the New Englanders. "The best fig |
ures YOU have quoted represent only one |
third of the New England supply"
Yes" returned Mr.. McAdoo, but If |
YOU haven't got it, what are you going |
to do about il p
The director general also cited to his |
visitors that 40 to 80 per cent of the
,oal fields, had been closed by lack of
best to work every facility to the ut
IlbEt- HE hdlu. II ilElb SbIiit HiSS
lnder the fellow that isn't getting every
hing he can out of his facilities"
The director general took occasion dur
ng the interview to suggest the urgency
If the railroad legislation which he is
skiing of Congress. Not day should be
ost in enaeting it, he said. The longer
he bill is delayed, the more difficult it
! to make improvements. AS it is
e. 4 81 l., az |
ty. | can't buy a freight car or loco
motive or make a single improvement, as
have no appropriation" The director
eneral paid warm tributes to Secretary
t the Navy Daniels and the shipping I
GARD for their cooperation in trying to I
ct coal to New England He had strong
opes, he said, that henceforth there |
'ould be better coordination at Hamp- !
on Roads between the navy and the $
hips which are trying to load coal for a
ew England. ,
Mr.. Duncan suggested that the delega .
on had two specific suggestions, one d
nat the director general continue his .
nbargo upon all articles except food,
lei and prime necessities. +
THAT is still on" said Mr., McAdoo, 7
md it won't come off,
Eve would also like our golfers back, !,
lggested Mr.. Duncan. ;,
81 asked some time ago that that be =
,ne," returned the director general, "and =
have had assurance that when the !,
hers get back they win be restored to u
e New England trade"
Notwithstanding Mr.. MeAdoo's rather
zen shafts at his opponents on the ship II
ng question and his lonesome hopeful (
80 over the New England situation, a,
hich he attributed in part to the wealth q,
his remarks impressed the delegation e.
vorably and he was given a round of " y,
plause when he ceased speaking. A +
INNER of cheer was caused by the ad =,
ission of Mr.. Gray, his assistant, that sa
G railroad situation was easier and ~
owing better all the time. - -