Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-21


pose. Your proposal is merely a sug-
gested basis of reaching a compensa-
tion agreement.
"The government must not do a de-
iberate injustice to the railroads or
Ianybody else. -
McAdoo had no direct hand in the
composition of the Garfield shutdown
to save fuel, he told the committee to-
day.
"Was the Garfield order issued to
help the director general of rail
roads7" asked Senator Watson.
''It was issued, in my opinion, to
help the railroad to deliver coal and
also to help save fuel" saidr McAdoo.
"Did you help in its composition?"
May End In February
"'I had no hand in its composition
said McAdoo. "though | approved it
in principle. -
McAdoo also expressed the hope
that it may not be necessary to con-
tinue the Monday holidays beyond the
middle of February.
McAdoo said "every once in a while
we have to submit to- surgery, YOU
know and declared in his opinion
the order "will result in more good
and less confusion and trouble than
anticipated. -
The order says it is designed to
aid the director general" said Wat
son.
"It doesn't much matter what the
order says,'' responded McAdoo, cor
whether it was to help the director
general personally or not. So long as
I,A xrybf hal
will be infinitely beneficial than ex-
pected, The order was justified.
81 am very much in the hcpe-and
I do not say this merely out of optim-
lism-with reasonable weather within
30 days conditions. may be such that
we may not need to continue the or
der as long as it was issued for. "
McAdoo said harbor conditions and
Transportation situations are both i'm
proving and will continue to improve
unless the weather again ties things
|up.'
Senator Cummins questioned Nc
Adoo at great length on his statement
that the old competitive order of
things could never be restored and
tried to get McAdoo S idea how com
petition could be eliminated under pri-
vate management.
Old System is Done For
''You said THO old system could
never return said Cummins. "Inas-
much as competition is the essential
principle of private ownership why
should the roads ever go back to their
private owners?'
81 said / thought the return to the
old competitive basis would be impos-
sible if government control lasted
long enough. To restore the pre-exist-
ing status, congress would have to leg
islate; it will have to legislate with
regard to the new conditions which
will confront US on the return OF
peace" said MeAdoo.
''I believe that said Cummins.
'' But we can't turn the roads back
and allow private owners to operate
them without competition, can wei q
81 don t know replied MeAdoo.
81 think congress can establish the
conditions under which the roads are
to be returned -
cit is the spectre of government
ownership that is feared" continued
the director general.
Smith assured it was, but Senator
Cummins said that was not his fear.
eve sh0uldn t let that fear influ-
enee us in working out a wise course
in this NATTER said MeAdOo.
Let me cite an instance of the ef-
feet of such a fear,p he continued.
'sBaek in 1914 bill to create a mer-
chant marine was filibustered to death
in congress for that reason. As a re-
suit we have no ships now when our
need for them is critical"
''That s not the reason we haven T
produced any ships the past year," SEN
atOr Watson interrupted.
eff we had started building them
three years ago we d have them today
insisted MeAdoo.
When the discussion grew warm,
Chairman Smith announced a recess,