The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-13
CONGRESS SPEEDS UP CONSIDERATION
 OF ROAD PROBLEMS
Senate Interstate Commerce Committee Called to Dis cuss McAdoo's Reco111-
 mendation Thursday

Washington, December F. Recommendation of Director General 'McAdoo that govern ment control of railroads be continued to January 1, 1924, gave impetus today to con gressional consideration of Legislation looking to a solu- ton of the railway prob lem and also was the subject of brief debate in the Senate.
 The Senate interstate commerce com mittee was called to meet next Thus day to discuss MT. McAdoo's letter and other phases of the general railroad sub ject. while the House committee will meet tomorrow with the expectation that the director generals recommendatiop will be taken up.
 Aside from the opposition voiced b Senator Kellogg of Minnesota, repsop can in the Senate today, many memrsrE both republicans and democrats, weresAlu to have expressed disapproval of MT. McAdooS 8 pFopoSdl, put iioHo VI f-.NS-N- spoke for publication.
 Senator Kellogg charged that MT. Mo Adoo really proposes five-year test looking to permanent government owner | shin of the carriers, and added that IF | government control Is extended for five years it would be impossible to return the roads back to private ownership. MERELY PERSONAL OPINION <. Senator Smith of South Carolina. chair 1 man of the Senate comperce committee. declared that MT. McAdoo's proposal was merely personal opinion, probably or unusual weight, but not conclusive upon | Congress, to which President wilson mas 1 submitted the question.
 1 Senator Kellogg then asked how Presi- dent Wilson's approval for the five-year Iextension had been secured when tne l President in his address to Congress nad ldisclaimed having any judgment on nano- | ling the railroad question.
 While the Senate was debating the subject. a number of industrial. com mercial. financial and labor leaders ana students of transportation problems dis- cussed the formulation of a policy toward l the roads at conference called py the limited States Chamber of Commerce. The conference will continue tomorrow in an effort to arrive at a basis of com mon principles accepted by all interests l
 The discussions were secret.
 I DETAILS EXPLAINED
 Walker D. Hines, assistant director gen
 eral of railroads, explained to the con
 ference details of Mir. McAdoo's foeas in determining to ask Congress to eA- lend government control to five years. He said that all interests urging imme-
 diate relinqushment of federal manaee- ment specify that there should be reme
 dial legislation to eliminate old wasteiul
 competition, and explained the di1iicui- {, ties of obtaining suitable legislation rep , Iresenting mature views of the nauoh' a' : lthis time Among the 30 attending the conferences Nwere. Paul NJ Warburg. former mempei of the federal reserve board; Harry A.
 Wheeler president of the Chamber o'
 Commerce and R. G. Rhett, former pres :. ident: Frank Morrison, secretary Ameri-
 can Federation of Labor; Winthrop M z | I,aniels chairman interstate commere' commission; Charles E. Elmquist, presi' 2 dent National Association of Railway ahe
 ITtility Commissioners; George A. pos,
 chairman of the Chamber of Commerce
 raiIroad committee: Prof. John R. com
 mons. of the University of Wisconsin
 tContinued on Page Two)