New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-12-06

Fans have been prepared along tn
lines and In accordance with the pol
icy which the Congress established
not under the exceptional condition,
Of tho war. but with the intention o
adhering to q definite method Of devel
opment OF the navy. l earnestly rec
ommend the uninterrupted pursuit O
that policy. 1t would clearly be un
wise for W to attempt to adjust oul
programs to a future world policy a,
yet undetermined.
Railroad Problem Of Great Moment.
THE question which causes me thu
greatest concern IL the question of the
policy to he adopted toward the rail
roads. frankly turn to you for coun
sci upon II. have no confident judg
ment of my own. l do not see how an,
thoughtful man can have who knows
anything Of the completely Of the
problem. 1t Is a problem which must
be studied. studied Immediately and
studied without bias or prejudice,
Nothing can be gained by becoming
partisans Of any particular plan of set,
Element.
1T vas necessary that the adluinis-
tration OF the railways should be tax.
EN- over by the government so long as
the war lasted. 1t would have been i'm.
possible otherwise to establish and
carry through under a single direction
the necessary priorities OF shipments.
1t would have been impossible other.
wise to combine maximum production
at the factories and mines and farms
with the maximum possible car supply
to take the products to the ports and
markets; impossible to route troop
shipments and freight shipments with.
out regard to the advantage or disad-
vantage OF the roads employed: impos.
sible to subordinate. when necessary,
all questions of convenience to the
public necessity: impossible Ia give
the necessary financial support to the
roads from the public treasury. But
all these necessities have now been
served, and the question Is, what is
best for the railroads and for the pub
lie In the future.
Exceptional circumstances and ex-
ceptiOnal methods of administration
were 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 it partly because their full
cooperation was rendered impossible
by law and their competition made
so that It has been impos-
sible to assign to them severally the
traffic which best could be carried by
their respective lines in the interest
Of expedition and national economy.
Treaty by Spring.
we may hope, | believe, for the
conclusion OF the war by
treaty by the time spring has come.
The twenty-five months to which the
control Of the railways is lin.
ted after formal proclamation of
peace shall have been made will run
At the farthest, l take 1t for granted.
to the January Of 1921. The full
equipment of the railways which the
administration had planned
could not be completed within any
such period. The present law does
not permit the 8 Of the of
he several roads for the execution of
'uch plans except by formal contract
With their directors, some of whom
will consent, while some will not, and
therefore, does not afford sufficient
authority to undertake improvements
lpon the scale upon which 1t would
necessary to undertake them.
Every approach to this difficult
ubJect matter of decision brings us
ace to face. therefore. with this un-
answered question: What Is 1t right
hat We should do with the railroads.
n the interest Of the public, and in
to their owners?
Let me say at once that l have no
cswer ready. The only thing that is
erfectly clear to me Is that it Is not
lir either to the public or to the own.
Of the railroads to leave the Ques-
on unanswered, and that it will pres
ntly become my duty to relinquish
nnfro1 NJ tho pn01o awnu hnfOrn TIM |
period. unless there should
ppear some clear prospect in the
leantime Of a legitimate solution.
heir release would at least pro-
uce one element Of a solution.
certainty and q quick stimu-
Ition Of private initiative.
Il believe that It will be ~serviceable
n me to set forth a. explicitly as pos
BILE the alternative courses that lie
pen to our choice. We can simply
.lease the roads and 90 back to the
d conditions Of private management.
1restricted competition and multi.
regulation by both state and fed.
al authorities, or we can go to the
extreme and establish COM
etc government control, accompanied
necessary by actual government
worship; or we car adopt an inter
ediate course of modified private 7
'ntrol under q more unified and az G
rmative public regulation and under $
Ich alterations of the law as will per. f
It wasteful competition to be avoided {
ID a considerable degree of unifica- t
IN OF administration to be effected, +
/. for example. by regional corpora r
ms under which the railways Of de- Z
area would be in effect COM I
ned in single systems. 4
Opposes Old Method. c
The conclusion that l am ready to ,