New Britain herald., 1918-01-02
WILSON DRAFTS
 CONGRESS SPEECH
Expected to Appear Tomorrow or
 Friday to Outline Legislation

V. McAdoo, Director General of Rail- roads, and his assistants continued to concentrate their energies upon the problem of ending the existing con- gestion on the Eastern lines with view to having something approach ing definite operating policy under way by the time President Wilson is ready to appear before Congress to ask legislation to handle the financial problems and other phases of Govern ment control of the railroads. The President devoted some time today to the message he will read, and it was stated that he would go to the Capi- tol Thursday or Friday, probably on the latter day.
 It is generally accepted that the President will ask for legislation in re- gard to the finances along the lines presented in his proclamation taking over the roads and will suggest in manner calling for speedy action a fair guarantee of profits to the roads and their stockholders based on earn ings of the last three years.
 Both the president and MT. McAdoo are anxious that there shall be no pro- lOnged wrangling over the legislation. The president, with that idea in view, is expected to place his requests be- fore congress in forceful language. 1t is felt that delay on any angle of the program would work a hardship to the director general and his assistants in carrying to a successful conclusion the strenuous efforts they are making to end the present critical transpOr tation congestion.
 Co-operation has been requested of railroads, and the members of the four brotherhoOds as essentials to such success. It is understood that the president will let congress know in frank terms that it is his idea that no wrench should be thrown into the machinery which has been created under MT. McAdoo.
 A bill providing for legislation along the lines desired by the presi- dent and MT. McAdoo has been prac- tically completed by members of the Interstate Commerce commission. Chairman Sims of the Interstate Com merce committee of the house had a. conference today with MT. McAdoo and went over some of the details with him. MT. Sims has expressed himself as in full accord with the presidents views. He believes congress will not
 
 tive and his director general of rail- roads.
 The action of A. H. Smith, presl- dent of the New York Central and as sistant to the director general of railroads, in charge of trunk lines in the east in directing the railroads yesterday to disregard all priority or ders in the general plan to keep up a steady movement of coal and per ishable foodstuffs, was supplemented today by an official order issued by Judge Lovett, director of priority, de- claring all priority orders issued by him dead.
 Judge Lovett, as well as Walker D. Hines, Hale Holden and Edward Chambers, members of MT. McAdoo's cabinet. attended the conference to- day, at which the Pennsylvania tubes were opened to the movement of coal and other plans for the relief of New York and New England were taken under consideration. It was an- nounced that word had been received from the United States shipping board that aid could be expected in the form of tonnage to put into the New England service. It is hoped to add others to the nine ships which were commandeered yesterday, repre- sentng about 5O,000 tons.