The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-05-01
THURSDAY, MAY I. 1919.
WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING.

Col. George Harvey in "Harvey's
Weekly" in summing up the utter
failure of the present administration
in the management OF the railroads,
has this to say:
The railroads are one case in point.
They are under dictatorial govern
ment control: and the administration
is trying its utmost to keep them in
perpetuity. What is the RESULT
February. 1918, was the worst month
down to that time in the history OF
American roalroads. For that there
was a reason. There was a scarcity
OF coal. and the weather was extra
ordinarily inclement. But February,
1919, proved to be still worse for the
railroads. Conditions were reversed.
There was plenty of coal and the
weather was extraordinarily mid
and pleasant. Moreover, freight rates
had been considerably increased. Yet
the net operating income Of the roads
was less by $2,225,O00 in Febru iry,
1919, than in the disastrous Febru-
ary of 1918. Rates were increased
about 25 per cent. but the income de-
creased IA per cent. and the service
was slower. Nor was that month sin
gular. The net operating income in
January was s37,OOO,000 below tie
average of three years. rne def
cts thus created must. Of course. be
met out of taxation. In 1918 the
deficit averaged ST.. 100000 a month
This year it has thus far averaged
$37,000,000 a month. Expert figur-
ers and account-mongers may juggle
with these facts as they please. The
facts which appeal beyond all contra
diction to the public mind are these:
The railroad service is poorer than
it has been before in this generation. [
The trains are slower, less frequent (
and less trustworthy.
The cost of the service to the i'm (
mediate patrons of the roads is
higher than it has been before in
this generation. Passenger fares are .
higher; freight rates are higher
The people are being taxed as never
before in this generation, through in
quisitorial incomes. stamp, and
other taxes, to meet a deficit of hun /
dreds Of millions of dollars a year in
railroad accounts.
In brief, government control of the /
railroads has meant, and now in
ereasingly means, poorer service at
higher cost.
Let not this criticism be misunder.
stood. We are net disputing the de.
STABILITY, perhaps even the necessity,
OF making some of these arrange
ments as wartime expedients. We
DO not believe even that It would
nave been necessary or desirable II
aifairs had been properly managed
oeiore the war. For example. il the
government had not for years been
apparently trying to starve the rail-
roads to death, the war would not
have found them in SO inefficient
condition as to call tor government
intervention. The simple fact is that
the government itself vas chiefly re-
sp0nsible for the nocr condition OF
the railroad service; ar r., it is notori-
Gus that as soon as it took control of
the railroads 1t immediately did with
the roads the very things which IL
had refused to let item do for them
selves Only. II tl,ad let them do
those things for themselves. the ser
vice would have been improved:
while, when the government itself
did them. the service was not i'm
proved but impaired.
Nevertheless. let US concede that at
east some OF these extensions OF gov
,rnment control were necessary as
var measures. 1t was only as such
hat they could be justified; and the
'esults to date are nothing short of
horrible example" to warn US
lgainst continuing such control in
ime OF peace. That is the great OBJ
ect lesson before the American ma
lon today; lesson so striking and
beneficient as to be worth all its 4