New Britain herald., 1919-02-06
TOR GENERAL OF RAILROADS

"a large extent will be coincident with
presidential campaign" There will
BE-" he holds, conditions of political
agitation in which the railroad queS
ton will be in issue and the conduct
OF these operations will be in issue.
II the railroad question is not settled
by return to private ownership De-
Tor the elections of November, 1920
which he argues is next to impossible
IL remedial legislation is demanded II
would mean, according to Mr.. Hines,
tnat there would be a change Of man.
agemont through a change of Presi-
uehts and then a further change or
arrangements when the remedial leg
lslatlon is secured and the roads
turned back to their owners.
One of Two Courses
Summarizing the problem as 1t ap-
pears to him, Director General Hines
holds the real choice must be between
the immediate return of the railroads
without remedial legislation or the
continuance of Federal control for the
five-year period recommended by Mr..
McAdoo. The railroad executives are
opposed to both plans.
Undoubtedly a great many people
whose judgment is sound on this sub
ject would far prefer to turn the rail-
roads back with adequate remedial
IegisIation,' he said. But that Is not
q practicable thing. The twenty-one
months solution is not a practical
thing and will simply pile up condl-
lions which are unsatisfactory now
and which would grow increasingly
unsatisfactory in the twenry-one
months, so that the practical choice is:
Is it better for the railroads to go
back to private control promptly uIl
der the old conditions or is 1t better
to have a five-year extension OF the
present control with provision for the
continuing Improvement Of the prop
critics and with conditions which Will
make for a satisfactory morale In the
railroad organization? No other alter
natives are available as practical
matter"
Such are Mr.. Illness views. He
speaks with the authority OF long
association with railroad management.
He has been connected with the rail-
road administration almost from the
day the roads were taken override
cember %, 1917. He was assistant to
the director general, then associate OIL
rector general. He knows the PROB
lens of Federal operations.
When he left his private law prac-
tice in New York to take part IN the
Federal management of the railroads
Mr.. Hines was chairman of the board
of directors Of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa F'e, position he Obtained
IN Septenaber, 1918, after having been
chairman of the executive committee
Of the board of directors from 1903
and general counsel from 1906.
During the last fifteen years Of his
association with the railroads Mr.
Hines retained a private practice, SO
that he was not primarily railroad
lawyer"
Mr. Hines went to New York from
louisville, where he had been con-
rec+ed with the Louisville and Nash
VILE for many years. His first posi-
+ion with Milton Smiths road was IN
1890 when he was secretary to the
assistant. chief counsel of the LOUIS
willie and Nashville. After WORKING
ar that post for two years, he entereo
Tho University of Virginia and emerged
With a law degree in 1898. He returned
tn the Louisville and Nashville as an
assistant attorney in the legal de-
ma rtrnent. but the strain he mad I'M
nosed upon his eyes during long
hours of study so weakened his slght
that he was forced to take SIX
months rest in 1894. He became as
sistant chief attorney in 1897, and four
wears later, when th1rty-one years DID,
first vice president Of the Louisville
and Nashville, in immediate charge or
the legal department and assistant to
President Smith in supervising traffic.
Began as a Stenographer
Mr.. Hines began life as a stenograr
pher when fourteen years old. He was
forced to leave school then. He was
without funds and was obliged to aid
his mother. When sixteen he became
official stenographer in Warren County
for the State Circuit Court. He re-
turned to school two years later, enter
ing Ogden College, at Bowling Green,
KY. Upon leaving college he was
stenographer in Bowling Green for
several months, then went to Trinidad,
Col, where he continued that kind of
work.
The new director general is not
strong physically. The tax he placed
on his strength in early manhood is
telling on him now. 1t was generally
believed here that he would not accept
Mr. McAdoo's post because of the con- {
dition of his health. He has a wife
and daughter.