El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-05

FTER years Of argument for and against, now
seeing the government operation Of railroads put tc
the test It is temporary expeden born of wartime
necessity but if It works out well IN this emergency 1t may
become permanent.
In the short time government operation has been in
progress great be claimed for it. Certainly
the railroads giving greater service than under
private control but fair test has been made Congestion
Of in eastern yards available rolling stock IN bad con-
dtion and almost unprecedented bad weather interfering
with traffic have prevented director general McAdoo and his
assistants trom showing what they can do With good
weather. they viii be IN position to do much and the coun
Try count upon that the motive power be kept
sufficiently workable to the trains the congestion
VIII be cleared away rapidly.
The task of ending the congestion of loaded cars is the
hands of A. e. Smith, aid to director general McAdoo and
railroad operating the country has
has reputation for getting trains going and
delivering them at terminals and the talk among railroad
IS that anyone can clear the car jam IN the east ne
Is the man-
In the war emergency government ownership presents
these advantages: Economy in routing economy In leading
and unloading economy space economy in number Of Of
fees IN handling of employees in numerous departments
economy purchasing and the Standardization of equipment
rails and economy time required to deliver shipments
because all shipments be sent by most direct routes and
railroads viii enjoy Of all terminal facilities
This not the case under the competitive system OF ran
reading obtaining when the roads were IN private conro
railroad expert said that 100000 could be cut
the daily expenses of the general transportation sys
TEN TO the benefit both of railway finances and service He
did not have In mind the complete economies possible under
government operation Estimates now made Of possible
savings vary from s5oooooooo to $1oooo 100000 year.
with government officials holding 10 the latter figure and
railroad executives to the former
ompetition for business practically has been eliminated
notwithstanding the fact that traffic bureaus and
ticket offices remain open FL Paso and elsewhere Dis
continuance Of soliciting and the closing Of traffic offices
devoted to getting business would afford pronounced
economy This VIII probably about In cutting OF
the expense Of maintaining Offices for Is assumed that
most traffic solicitors VIII be- given employment IN other
Departments Of The railroads Indeed there vaean
ces made By military enlstments which the railroads are
having some trouble to fill
Eliminating this competition for traffic would be one
Of the best features Of government control The United
States has become great commercial and industrial nation
IN sute Of and because Of the uneconoc methods OF
routing freight which have resulted from competing for
business
DEPRESSING for the moment the United States govern
eut fosered this very competition. 1t forced decen
razation Of railroad control In the interest Of lower
rates. chiefly, and to prevent great organization from
forming MONOPOLY Of the countTys transportation sys
TEN it caused to be framed by congress the Sherman anti
tst law against forming combinations in restraint OF
trade This was wise course, from many points of view