The sun., 1918-01-15
ASK ROADS BACK
YEARAFTERWAR'
Railway Chiefs Adopt Rcsolu-
tiOn Requesting Congress to
Fix Time Limit.
CALL SIMS BILL FAULTY
They Assert Security Holders
Have Right to Know
What Is to Be Done.

The conference OF railroad presidents
and exccutivcs-a0 officials representing
1T roads-which met with great Sc
crecy at the New York Central Offices
here on Sunday. adopted a resolution
calling on Congress to amend the Sims
bill 30 that the roads will be returned to
their owners within a year after the ces-
sation Of war
This information was obtained by THE
SrN yesterday as exact confirmation Of
the report which THE Sun printed yes
terday morning in regard to the real
meaning and intent Of the conference.
Railroad interests are frankly anxious
for the Government to declare its policy.
not only as regards the period OF Gov
crnment control but as regards financing
and other important matters.
Frank Trumbull. chairman OF the rail-
way executives advisory committee.
which represents the railroad presidents
of the country, said yesterday that Con-
gress should insert a clause In the Sims
railroad bill or provide by other enact
nent that the railroads should revert to
their owners one year after the war ends,
or sooner II the President should SO di-
rect.
ReaolutiOn Is Forwarded.
This statement was made after Mr.
Trumbull had forwarded to Washington
a resolution adopted at a meeting of the
railroad presidents here Sunday declar-
ing that It was only a square deal to the
railroads. taken over by tho Government
as n war emergency measure. for the
Government through Congress. to say
! <,ttlA a
hand back the roads to those who had
them prior to January !. 1918.
The argument has been advanced by
members Of Congress and other officials
at Washington that to hand the roads
back TO their owners Immediately after
the war would present an opportunity
for speculation In railroad securities and
would also he unfair TO some OF the
roads. because they would be crippled by
extra wear and tear due to war opera
tions more than some other roads, 1t
was also said that the fixing of any def
mite date for the return OF the roads
would lend an opportunity for stock mar
ket manipulation.
Mr.. Trumbull added that both of these
object ions could be met by the ore year
provision he suggested. giving the fresi-
dent the say as to the exact date ne
thereby having power TO decree reSuia-
, tions guarding against untoward deal
| ings He said also that the matter OF
giving the roads back IN as good condi-
tion as they were taken over need no'
cause any hesitancy about fixing time
| limit on Government operation. inasmuch
as the guarantee Of condition by the
Government could be met by making
/ financial concessions to cover the matter,
the roads being we'll able TO rehabilitate
/ 81 ,saIN 10
Government Invest me nts.
/ II is also recognized by tho railroad
! presidents that the end of'the war will
, in all probability gee the Government
with considerable financial interest in
/ the roads. 1t being the supposition Of car
rier executives that railroad financing
during the war viii be done through the
purchase Of railroad securities by the
Government However, Mr.. Trumhul
pointed out that n year would he time
enough to provide for many adjustment
that might be necessary
What railroad presidents insist upon
( is that tho time for the return OF the
roads be not left in the dark by the pro
vision now in the pending Sims bill say
ing that the Government shall re'aI
control of the roads until Congress
should dlrcct otherwise. The railroad
men say that in the past thcy have beer
promised things by one Congress and
not got them from another Congress
While the railroad presidents are con
| fident that II President Wilson and ths
present Congress are in power when tho
war ends, they VIII get the roads back
they contend that III" hundreds of thou
sands OF holderS "f railroad seCuritie:
have right to know where they stand
Railroad men We've interested In tht
statement before tho Interstate Com
merce Committee of the senate yester
day by Senator Underwood tn the effect
tina, Congress had the power to sur
render Government operation OF the rail
roads at the end Of two years becaus'
appropriations made for the roads coult
he made only for two years But, the,
said, the statement OF Senator Under
wool did not at all meet the dcmarC
of the railroad presidents that tint
limit he nNed and the fate of tho rail
roads lie not left To y succeeding CON
gress. which might he Of different CON
plcxion and intentions and purposes.