The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-06
Pennsylvania. Baltimore aud
Ohio and New Haven Lines
Cut Twenty Per Cent
GRAINS De LUX"
WILL BE DISCARDED
Senators and Representatives
in Washington Are Lining
Up For Big Fight On Rail-
road Bill


Washington. Jan. 5.-Directar- Gen.-
eral McAdoo tonight announced that
beginning tomorrow passenger travel
on all Eastern railroads would ke
curtailed 20 per cent. This will APP
Baltimore and Ohio and the New
Haven roads.
! Commuter service will not be in
terfered with. There will be no more
train. de luxe. They will be turned
into regular trains. The congr ession
! al limited and similar express parlor
car fiiers will be restricted to four
parlor cars with the day coaches.
Most of them will be made UP OF all
regulation day coaches.
With this order Direct or General
McA doc took definite, severe steps TO
prevent shippers and consignees from
holding freight cars on sidings at the
terminals He ordered that notice be
given TO all shippers that on January
81 they must begin to unload their
cars and have them moved within
forty eight hours.
/ A demurrage charge Of $40 day
will be in effect from that date. This
will be assessed against car after
! IL has been IN the yards eight days
tor unloading
In ma king the announcement Mr..
McAdoo said:
IT have consented TO this change
because Il is tmperatively necessary
that the passenger travel be reduced
~ much 4. possible in the present
! serious emergency which confronts
the people in the Eastern district OF
| the country.
| '-Ths break down in the passenger
service OF the various railroads in the
31eanG has ss8t inside q paessaysks ianNre&-
sion on the public. but it must be
borne in mind that the railroad com :
pas,iex in the East are still seriously
ccngested with an unusual amount OF
freight traffic. the movement OF which
lis more vital to the country than the
movement of passengers. and that the
weather conditions for the last two
weeks have seriously impeded rail-
road operation.
81 am very much pleased that pro
vision In made in the provisions OF
the railroad bill for the use OF the
inland waterways OF the United States
Il in connection with the railroad sys-
TENS now under government control.
The proper uss of these waterways
will largely increase the transportation
facilities Of the country. and IL the
tpending bill La passed giving author
lily to the president to expend money
for development OF transportation IA
cilities and inland waterways, every
] effort will be made to utilize them to
1.-The full capacity"
| Mr.. McAdoo was in conference
most OF today with the passenger and
itraffic managers of the northeastern
Re rui aY1hpn r
ted suggestions and many OF these
will be embodied in rules to be pro-
mulgated by the director-general
probably within the next forty-eighi
| hours Those in the conference were
A. B. Smith. of New Haven; l.. +,
lvossburgh, of the New York Central,
| w. c. Hope, of the Jersey Central; r
E. Wright and j. p. Anderson. of the
| Pennsylvania, and Judge Edward
Chambers. members of the advisory
I beard In charge OF the general trafsie
problem.
! Meanwhile. up AZ the Capitol sena-
tors and representatives were lining
| up for the biggest fght on the rail.
road bill This will center around
the proposal in the final section oi
the administration measure that the
railroads shall not return to private
/ operation until congress specifically
iorders 1t. Government ownership ad.
jvocates will back a move to make tht
Transition into government ownership
just as easy as returning the carriers
Ito the present owners.
/ Chairman Sims, of the house inter
state commerce committee. said to-
might that such proposal alread,
was before his committee. Check
mating II is a demand that the govern
ment give the owners now an assur
ance that congress will return th'
roads when the war is over.
/ "It Is evident" said Mr.. Sims. tina
1.-THE whole question of government
ownership will be debated and III
lstrength In congress thoroughly test
ed In the debates. The present pro
vision that government control mus
continue until congress provides 9th
erwise is my idea OF the ideal settle
lment OF the question. After the gov
ternment has operated the roads a yea,
for so the people will really know
whether they want government own
.ership."
i The bill goes before house and ,sena.,
} interstate commerce committees MOI.
day. Senator La Toilette said he wouls
begin Immediately a contest on tn
proposal to guarantee the roads q profl
based on average returns for 1915. 1s1
and 1917. On the real invested value
4 he declared. this is guarantee OF 8
per cent profit although only I Is ant
5 per cent on alleged watered stock.
Comm ss.oner Mcchord. of the inter
state commerce commission. issued to
day for the director-generai. repor
on the coal-car congestion OF the Eas
ana other sections.
1 He shows where cars have. been he'll,
mp for sixty days with government
shipments that easliy could be un
, loaded. Judge Robert .. Lovett. prior
ity director. yesterday blamed tho arm.
and navy and shipping board for con
gestion in many sectione.
Commissioned NcCAord shows tina
on the Naryland divisfon OF the Penn
CONTINUED on seventh Pagc.)