Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-04
vii SON WANTS MONEY FOR RAILROADS
possible in the present extraordinary
circumstances.

F. =.
Income Guarantee.
while the present authority OF the
executive suffices for all purposes OF
administration and while, OF course. all
private interests must for the present
Il give way to necessity, it Is right, !
sure you will agree with me, that the
owners and creditors OF the railways
the holders Of their stocks and bonds
should receive from the government
guarantee that their properties will be
made safe thruout government control
and in as good repair as at present and
that the several roads will receive un-
der federal management such COM
pensation as Is equitable and just alike
to their owners and the general pub
)lic. I would suggest the net operating
income for the three years ending
June 80, 1917. / recommend that these
guarantees be given by appropriate
legislation and given as promptly as
circumstances permit.
I. The Prssidsnt's Address.
President Wilson's address follows
In full:
"Gentlemen Of the congress: have
asked -the privilege Of addressing. you
in order to report that on the 2Sth of
December last, during the recess OF
congress, acting thru the secretary Of
war and under authority conferred on
me by act OF congress, approved >Aug.
20, 1915. took possession and assumed
control Of She railway lines Of the
country and .the systems Of water
transportation under their control. This
step seemed to be imperatiyely neces-
|sary in the interest Of public welfare
In the present great tasks Of war. AS
dur experience develops difficulties and
makes 1t clear what they are, have
deemed 1t my duty to remove those
difficulties wherever I can do so. To
assume control Of the vast railway
system of the country. I realize, is a
very heavy responsibility, but to fail
to do so in existing circumstances
would have been much greater.
assumed the lesser responsibility rath-
Ter than the weightier.
Necessary For Mobilization.
II am sure am speaking the mind
OF all thoughtful Americans when say
it is my duty as the representative of
the nation to do everything necessary
W Oo W SCSuIo Lie CoAnplcIc LFoulllZA.
ton OF the whole resources of Amer
lea by as rapid and effective a means
as can be found. The transportation
supplies an the arteries of mobili-
zatjon. Unless it be under single and
unified direction the whole process Of
the nations action Is embarrassed.
1T was in the true spirit Of America
and 1t was right that we should first
try to effect the necessary unificativn
under the voluntary action OF those
who were in charge of the great rail-
way properties and we did try 1t. The
directors Of the railways responded to
the need promptly and generously. The
IgEoNp 9ofs snilway executives who were
charged with the task or COS -Or1inati0n
and direction performed their diff
culties with patriotic zeal and marked
ability, as was to have been expected,
Nfid did, / believe, everything that it
was possible Tor them to Do In the cir
cumstances.
No Reflection on Managers.
If have taken the task out OF their
hands it has not been because of a
dereliction or failure on their part but
only because there are some things
the government can do and the present
managements can not.
1T has been Enthusiastically plain that
only under government administration
can the entire equipment Of the sew
eral systems Of transportation fully
and unreservedly be thrown into a
common service without injurious dis
elimination against particular prop
critics. Only under government author
5ity can new terminals be constructed
and developed without regard to re-
quirements or limitations of particular
roads. But under government admin
istration all these things will be pos
sible--not instantly but as rapidly as
all difficulties give way before the new
management.
Personnel Undisturbsd.
''The common administration will be
carried out with as little disturbance
to the present personnel Of the rail-
roads as possible. Nothing will be al
tered or disturbed which 1t is not nee
essary to disturb. We are safeguard
ing the public safety but we also will
regard the interests OF those by whom
these great properties are owned. 1t
Is necessary that the Transportation Of
troops and Of war materials, OF food
and Of fuel and Of everything that Is
necessary for the full mobilization of
the energies andresources OF, the coun-
try should be first considered, but it
Is clearly In public interest also. that
the ordinary activities and the normal
Industrial and commercial life -of the