Gilpin observer., 1918-12-05

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 eN-
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 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 had
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-
ficient authority to undertake improve
ments upon the scale -pon 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
? interest of the public and in fairness
to their owners?
Let me say at once that / have no
answer ready. The only thing that is
perfectly clear to me is that II 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
emily 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 legisla-
tive solution. Their release would at
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 serviceable
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 go back to the old
conditions of private management, un-
restricted competition and multiform
regulation by both state and federal
authorities; or we can go to the oppO-
site extreme and establish complete
government control, accompanied. If
necessary. by actual government own
ership; or we can adopt an interme-
diate conrse of modified private con-
| troll. under more unified and afiirma-
| tive public regulation and under such
| alterations of the law as will permit
| wasteful competition to be avoided
and considerable degree of unifica-
tion of administration to be effected,
as, for example, by regional corpora
tions under which the railways of de-
Unable area would be in effect COM
bined in single systems.
The one conclusion that ] am ready
| to state with confidence Is that 1t
would be disservice alike to the coun-
| try and to the owners of the railroads
TO return to the old conditions unmod-
flied. Those are conditions of res
traint without development. There Is
nothing affirmative or helpful about
them. What the country chiefly needs
is that all its means of transportation
| should be developed, its railways, its
waterways, its highways and its coun-
| tryside roads
New Policy Necessary.
Some new element of policy, there
fore, <fs absolutely necessary--neces-
sary for the service of the public, nee
| essary for the release of credit to
| those who are administering the rail-
| ways, necessary for the protection Of
their security holders. The old policy
may be changed much or little, but
surely 1t cannot wisely be left as 1t
was.
i hope that the congress will have
complete and impartial study of the
whole problem Instituted at once and
prosecuted as rnpidly as possible.
stand ready and anxious TO release
the roads from the present control and
! must do so at very early date II
by waiting until the statutory limit
of time is reached / shall be utterly
prolonging the period of doubt and un-
certainty which is hurtful to every in
terest concerned
welcome this occasion to announce
TO the congress my purpose to Join In
Paris the representatives of the gov
ernments with which we have been
associated In the war against the cen
trai empires for the purpose of dis
cussing with them the main features
Of the treaty Of peace. I realize the
great inconvenience that Will attend