The Washington herald., 1918-12-13
PLEA FOR EXTENSION
OF RAILROAD CONTROL.
BRINGS MANY PROTESTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

with enlarged powers for the Inter
state Commerce Commission in the
matter of rate-fxing and pooling of
traffic.
shortness of Time.
Senator Kellogg, of Minnesota ex-
Dressed tksse- VANS in a speech de-
fvered in The Senate yesterday. He
said that it was a proposal Ito put
government ownership over under the
guise of an extension, and declared
that the government will be behind
500, 10000 in the operation of the rail-
roads in spite of the increased freight
rates granted"
Senator Kellogg quoted from the Nc
Adoo letter in which it was set forth
that there was not time to secure leg
islation at the present session of Con-
gress. and that for this reason there
should be an extension of time.
Senator King, of Utah. suggested
asking the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to prepare a program of legis-
lation on the subject and Senator
Kellogg renied that he would intro
duce a resolution for this purpose.
Senator Smith said he did not Un-
derstand that Mr.. McAdoos recon-
mendation was TO be treated in any
way except as his individual opinion
on the subject. adding:
His opinion may have more weight
by virtue of the fact that he has
been the Director General, but those
of US who are charged with the re-
sponsibility of facing what. in my
opinion, is the greatest problem that
confronts the American people, will
face that problem as American citi-
zcns and will solve it in the light
of the best judgment we can exer-
else, without taking anyone's pre-
conceived notions about it."
Must be shown.
Senators who were interviewed on
the subject of Mr.. McAdoos' letter
were, as a rule, unwilling to accept
his view of the situation. Senator
Pomerene, Democrat. of Ohio, a MEM
ber of the Interstate Commerce Com
mittee made this terse statement: II
am not from Missouri. but am
from Missouri on this question"
Senator Underwood, Democrat, of
Alabama, also a member of the COM
mittee, said that he agreed with Mr..
MCAdoo that it would be impossible
" Set any ltSlSldllOH aI
this session. but he suggested that
as the period of government control
has twenty-one months yet to run,
there would be time mithin THAI
period to obtain any legislation
needed.
Senator Borah, Republican, of Idaho,
declared himself opposed to the Nc
Adoo suggestion. He pronounced the
present method of operation "unbear-
able" and added:
at is private ownership publicly
controlled, with profits guaranteed.
Five years more of it and we would
have a wrecked and wholly worthless
transportation system and nothing to
show for it except huge public debt
for the taxpayers to take care Of"
Senator Townsend, Republican, of
Michigan, a member of the commit
tee, said the McAdoo plan was IAN
impossible proposition" He declared
1t bore no evidences of sincerity, and
that coming so soon after the Presi-
dents statement that he had no views
on the subject it was "a clear mani
festation of duplicity."
Senator Penrose, of PENNSYLVANIA,
said the transportation facilities of
the country have been demoralized,
and that the experiment of govern
ment control had set the cause of
government ownership back fifty
years.