The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-20
Stephens in House Denounces
Wall Street Railroad Weakness

1 Washington, Feb, ls.-Represen-
tattNe stephens. o3 Nebraska Demo-
crGt. stirred rhe house this afternoon
with a vigorous speech In denuncia-
ton of Wall street wreckers of rail-
roads In the course of his denuu-
citation, he mentioned the names of
two men row In responsible govern
ment positions. One II President I.o-
rec Of he Delaware and Hudson rail-
road who has been named as "A MEM
Der OF the mediation board TO map
out permanent method Of conciliat-
ing capital and labor The other is
S. NJ. FELTON, president of the Chicago.
Great Western railroad. now assist
ing Chairman Hurley as engineering
expert OF The shipping board
/ Both these men. said S ephens. had
been involved in the wrecking Of the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail-
road. which he described as "A "hor-
rible" example Of private control lie
said
/ Private control and ownership has
already proved failure Some way
must be found 10 cure the defects Of
the system or government ownership
/ inevitably follows after a period
of federal control the roads brea 4.
I down utterly under existing condi-
! tions. then the government to save
80 ,iee - f'toot wv US own means
! "a as W. dh Gphtol lheht
1'" ne government as q war ne
ceS9ltF mas tahen conuoi ana has CO.
/ ordinated all The roads under one
head and for one purpose-namel
! service.
1T Is a concentration Of contrnt ao
dearly sought Inv the railroad ruao-
mates. But the nhonle woITIa MT
trust s,,ch r,o,,-s,. -, npi,,,to ~ ~,
The thing eonaet h,, thaso ma ,raata.
for agt,, ,ea,.e 49,, ..,i,t '''S' t,sl'es
40 ~ ~, - T.'.,ot O. So ~
,oo'rio ' '''S - e''"N'''' 'o' the
,,,,,,.,,,... x,-s.,. ,,
..,s '" ''I'-. > " ''l' pfih"iid,
2 - '''e ESn''''l'''i VINO are haunted
! pg 'le EhoSt OF owner
st'e PfeNeHt an ho4eS' demonstration
, OF i'0eFal control then they viii have
10 lace q countrywide demand for
~. "nlF trHeFal control but owner
SNIP as well.
j THE men who insist upon writing
1 q limitation OF federal control mere.
, ly hasten the day for government
ownership
I Whether they know II or not. pri-
vate control has broken down and
country knows it.
"A few years more 81 such con-
troll. ana no one win ha left excer,t
widows. ornhaus and tho hefniasA
generally Who ran 10 indncea ~ in9
vest In railroad bonds ma etociTs
TO jnsert in this Mn a da,r for
the return If the roads 10 tbatr crr.
porate owners. IN the old avstep1 -
private control that is ~ tesna
clarion cali IN tho country r. go - .
outrage before n can he nernetra+ad
and tr2c country win unrothtedla,E
stop n b, forcing us into govarnnoent
oIynersb{p
"The fear Of Government ovnar-
shin talked the shfrrptn, hin to dsoth
I'm March ret5 and ou{s huilain., -
set back two who'll wears Tbe ey,,t.
nent Legislators who nern7ittea +haa,.
/ selves 10 he frightened nv ire frhos+
| of government ournersbin : cbe,ss
with the responsfbtlitv of bs1,tnT
| fatled 10 nroyide the rouptrv 1,.i,n
ships
THE hacker Of the ehox, was the
Shinpine trust charging a. tbot 4i,rs
| Tunurnuc. r,t.rs..u
"The ingurance intnrests tied ne nm
~, our xvar-rtsLr fre,irancn hilI tn 80
feet our sailors nv the covernmsnt-
o,EnersbiD cry
"Thfs whole lot of rragrates csrro4
ronceive Of the naopla having senss
enough even after they have triea
a tang. to know whether thav o,art
u or not
s,'rhe truth Is. federal control sbo,,io
he continued i've or len years af,ar
|, the war FOR the puruose Of satistvtre,
the country beyond a question ~
douts that federal control Is ar is not
practicable