Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-09-09
Public be Damned" Policy
not Allowed on Govern
ment Controlled X
Railroads.
SAYS VIM. G. McADOO
A Newsy Letter From Our
Washington Cor
respondent.
Washington Bureau of
the Freeman-JOurnal
BY J. E. JONES.
Public Needn't. be Damned.

Public Needn't be Damned.
Director General McAdoo has gon'
straight to the point in an order coy
ering the matters of courtesy ant
politeness, and he declares that ''tht
public be damned policy will in III
circumstances be tolerated on the rail
roads under government control.
Likewise excuses such as "Unclt
Sans running roads," or "McAdoo'.
ORDERS" are classed as reprehensible
Mr.. McAdoo believes that the increase
of $475,OOO,OOO in railroad wages pei
annum, and the consequent increase il
passenger and freight rates entities
the public, among other things, to be
treated "c6urteously, faithfully and
efficiently"
The government acquired 100000
new employees when it took over the
railroads. The express companies
have Furnished about $4,000 new gov
eminent employees, and the telephone
and telegraph companies are supply
ing 100000 more.
Wage Problems
1t is assumed at political head
quarters that all questions of wage in
creases will become political in char
acter, and the representatives and
senators are beginning to recognize
the first nibble of pressure for in
creased wages. The administration
cannot go beyond certain limit in
advancing pay schedules, and i'll the
case of the railroads the top-notcil
figures have doubtless been reached
The telegraphers have been noisy from
the moment they entered the employ
of the government. Just how the Ole
parties will line up in this entirely
| new world of political values no one
knows. Everyone is trying to con
tinue on amicable terms with the gov.
ernment-employed laborers, but tho
route of wage-adjustment has been
changed from the control of the in
dividuals and corporations, and the
first wage increase among the railroad
employees was accompanied by a big
advance in freight and passenger rat
es. Industrial and labor conditions
with the wire companies are sure tt
undergo marked changes; but just
how these new conditions will affec,
political fortunes is SO much of mys
terry that the Democratic and Republi
can committees are total abstainers
when 1t comes to partaking of a fixet
policy. Nevertheless the issues vii
have to be met within few weeks al
the outside; and lineup with refer
ence to the continuation of more-or
less government control and ownership
may be expected in political circles
and throughout the country.
"WOrk or Fight"
The American Federation of Labor
has characterized the legislation with
drawing the deferred classification
from men absent from work ''withOu
| cause" as deceptive method o.
labor CONSUMPTION. Secretary MOrri
son, who is regarded as Samuel Com
pers' right-hand man, has led the at
tack on the measure before congress
He declares that tabor has kept thu
faith" and that labor CONSUMPTION i:
not asked by the government and i.
not necessary"
The labor situation is regarded as o.
such great Importance that, the Wa
Labor Policies board has issued re
quest to the governors of all states t.
send representatives to Washington
the last of September, for the purpose
of devising plans for state and fedora
cooperation in dealing with industrial
problems.
Orders Telephone Consultations.
The postmaster general has ISSUED
orders looking toward the consolidat
ing of telephone companies Throughout
the country. There are several thous
and Independent companies in tn
United States, and the Bell lines arr
in competition with many of these
Postmaster General Burleson has nam
ed Nathan c. Kingsburg, vice-presiden
of the American Telephone and Tele
graph company, and George w. Rob
inson. president of the Tri-State Tele
graph and Telephone company, to con
duct Investigations and to max
negotiations and arrive at agreement
for the unification and consolidation
of the various companies operating il
| the same communities.
The policy of the postoffice depart
ment as announced in recent state
ment also directs all companies t
| "confine extensions and betterments t
imperative and unavoidable work t
| meet war requirements and the vita