Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-03

Want the News.
have accrued !: nd shall accrue from waf
contracts apd distincdvely war business.
bat that these taxes Be confined to the
war. profits accsuing in IsiS or ia 1918
from business originating in war con.
tracts. ! urge your acceptance OF his
Recommendation that provision be made
now. not subsequently. that the taxes
to be paid in 1890 should be reduced
from six to four billi0ns. Any arrange
ments less definite chan these would add
elements Of doubt and confusion to the
critical period OF Industrial readjust-
ment through which tho country must
now Immediately pass and which no
true friend OF the nations essential
business interests cAn afford to be re-
sponsible' for creating or prolonging.
Clearly determined conditions clearly
and simply charted, are indispensable
to the economic and raLid industrial de-
veIopment which may confidently be
expected ii we act now and sweep all
interrogation points away.
Should Carry Out Naval Program
j. take it for granted that the Con-
which was undertaken before we en-
tered the war. The SECRETARY of the ma
Wy has submitted to your committees
for authorization that part of the pro-
gram which covers the building plans of
the next three years. These plans have
been prepared along the lines and in ac-
cordance with the policy which the Con-
gress established. not under the excep-
tional conditions Of the war, but with
the intention of adhering to.a definite
method of development for the navy.
l earnestly recommend the uninterrupt-
ed pursuit of that policy. 1t would
clearly be unwiss for us to adjust our
plans to future world policy as vet
undetermined:
Asks Counsel on Railroads
The question which causes me the
greatest concern is the question Of
the policy to be adopted towards the
railroads. / frankly turn to you for
counsel upon it. have no confident
judgement of my own. / do not see
how any thoughtful man can have
who knows anything of the complex
hy of the problem. IT is problem
which must be studied, studied I'm
mediately and studied without bias
or prejudice. Nothing can be gained
by becoming partisans of any par
ticular plan of settlement.
1t was necessary that the admins
tration of the railways should be
taken over by the government SO
long as the war lasted. 1t would
have been impossible otherwise 70
establish and carry through under
single direction the necessary pri-
critics of shipment. 1t would have
been impossible otherwise to combine
maximum production at the factories
and mines and farms with the maxi
mum possible car supply to take the
products to the ports and markets,
impossible to route troop shipments
and freight shipments without regard
to the advantage or disadvantage of
the roads employed; impossible to
subordinate, when necessary, all
questions of convenience to the pub
lie necessity. impossible to give the
necessary financial support to the
roads from the public treasury. But
all these necessities ahve now been
served, and the question is. what IS
best for the railroads and for the
public in the future. Exceptional
circumstances and exceptional meth
DDS Of administration were not need
ed to convince us that the railroads
were not equal to the immense task
then imposed upon them blythe rap
i'd and continuous development Of the
industries of the country. We knew
that already. And we knew that
they were unequal to it partly be.
cause their full cooperation was rem
dered impossible by Snw and their
competition made obligatory. so that
1t has been impossible TO assign to
them severally the traffic which
could best be carried by their respec-
tive lines in the interest of expedi-
ton and national economy.
Peace Treaty by Spring.
We may hope. believe. for the for
NAL conclusion of the war by treaty by
the time spring has come, The :.
months to which the Lresent control OF
the railways is limited after formal
proclamation OF peace shall have been
made will run at the tsrthest, 1 take il
for granted, only to the January of 1921
The full equipment of the railways
VIII; 9TH, h. FOL
planned could not be completed within
any such period. The present law does
not permit the use of the revenues II
the several roads for the execution OF
such plans except by formal contrac Ct
with their directors. some of whom will
consent while some will not, and there.
fore does not afford sufficient authori-
scale upon which it would be necessary
to undertake them. Every approach to
this difficult subject matter Of decision
brings us face to face, therefore. with
this unanswered question: What is right
that We should do with the railroads. il,
the interest OF the public and in fair.
ness to their owners? Let me say at
once that ! have no answer ready.
Action Must Be Taken at Once
The only thing that is perfectly clear
to me is that it is not fair either to the
public or to the owners of the railroads
to leave the question unanswered and
that it will presently tecome my duty
to relinquish control OF the roads. even
before the expiration of the statutes