Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-12-13

all THESE necessities nave now Deeu
served, and the question Is, what IS
best for the railroads and for the pub
lie in the future.
Roads Could Not Cooperate.
Exceptional circumstances and ex-
Ceptlonal methods OF administration
we're not needed to convince US that
the railroads were not equal to the
immense tasks Of transportation I'M
posed upon them by the rapid and
continuous development Of the indus
tries Of the country. We knew that
already. and we knew that they were
unequal to 1t partly because their fun
cooperation was rendered impossible
by law and their competition made OBJ
ligatory. so that 1t has been impossi-
BILE TO assign to them severally the
traffic which could best be carried by
their respective lines In the Interest OF
expedition and national economy.
The full equipment of the railways
which the federal administration a
planned could not be completed with
In any such period. The present law
does not permit the use of the reve-
nues of the several roads for the exc
cution OF such plans except by formal
contract with their directors, some OF
whom will consent, while some will
| not, and therefore does not afford suf-
| hcient authority to undertake improve
ments upon the scale upon which 1t
would be necessary to undertake them.
Every approach to this difficult sub
| ject matter Of decision brings US face
to face, therefore. with this unan-
| swered question, What Is right that
we should do with the railroads In the
I interest of the public and In fairness
to their owners?
Let me say at once that I have no
answer ready. The only thing that Is
perfectly clear to me Is that 1t Is not
fair, either to the public or to the own
ers Of the railroads, to leave the ques-
ton unanswered, and that 1t will pres
entity become my duty to relinquish
control of the roads, even before the
expiration of the statutory period, un-
less there should appear some clear
prospect In the meantime Of q legisla'
tive solution. Their release would al
least produce one element Of a solu'
~tion-namely, certainty and a quick
stimulation Of private initiative.
Several Plans Possible.
believe that it will be s%erviceable
for me to set forth as explicitly as pos
sible the alternative courses that lie
open to our choice. We can simply re
lease the roads and gQsback to the ole
conditions Of private management, un
restricted competition and multiforn
regulation by both state and fedora
authorities or we can go to the Oppo
site extreme and establish complete
government control, accompanied, l.
necessary, by actual government own
ership; or we can adopt an inferno
date course of modified private con
| JTOl, uIlutI IL luUlc ullllICu oAIu IA 49,
tive public regulation and under sucl
alterations of the law as Will PERM
wasteful competition to be avoided
and a considerable degree OF unitica
ton OF administration to be effected
as, for example, by regional corpors
tions under which the railways of dc
Unable area would be in effect con
bined in single systems.
The n conclusion that / am read
to state with confidence Is that
would be O disservice alike to the coul
try and to the owners of the railroad
to return to the old conditions unmo'
flied. Those are conditions Of re
traint without development. There
| nothing affirmative or helpful abo1
. them. What the country chiefly nee'
is that all its means of transportatit
. should be developed, its railways, |
waterways, its highways and its cou
: tryside roads
y New Policy Necessary.
- Some new element of policy, thel
fore, Is absolutely necessary-nect
, sary for the service of the public, NJ
essary for the release of credit
- those who are administering the "a
ways, necessary for the protection
n their security holders. The old poll
70 may be changed much or little, |
surely 1t cannot wisely be left as
10 was.
" hope that the congress will ne
a complete and impartial study Of
II. whole problem instituted at once o
10 prosecuted as rapidly as possible.
MS stand ready and anxious to rele'
II. the roads from the present control 1
~ | must do so at q very early date
nm by waiting until the statutory IL
M of time is reached | shall be ute
ce prolonging the period of doubt and
he certainty which is hurtful to every
terest concerned.
| welcome this occasion to ann0u
y, to the congress my purpose to joiI
90 Paris the representatives of the
ernments with which we have Q
associated in the war against the
trail empires for the purpose OF
No. cusslng with them the main feat
of the treaty of peace. | realize
~ great inconvenience that VIII att
an my leaving the country, particul
-, Mt this time, but the conclusion
,a. it was my paramount duty to go
been forced upon me by consid