The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-03

remaining substantially the same as in
last year, the government should make a
surplus of Sl00,000,000.
He also predicted that considerable
reduction in rates could be effected in
1919
Wage increases TO railroad employees
last year added between S600,000,000 and
100000 600 to the payrols, Mr.. McAdoo
testified. In addition the coal bill was
$l40000,000 higher for the 10 months of
1918 ending Nov. |, than in the same pc
Rod in 1917, and the cost of cross ties
and lumber increased S65,000,000.
Many economies brought about under
unified management, such as rerouting,
common use of terminals and equipment,
heavier loading and elimination Of use.
less competition Mr.. McAdoo explained,
will not be reflected until this year. New
ertheless, he said, reports from five Of
the seven operating regions show that on
group of selected principal items Of
economy savings totalling $S5,576,0OO
have been effected,
Many of the changes in railroad OPP
Grafton inauguated during last year,
the director general testified, should
prove of permanent value and should
continue, il possible, regardless of what
form OF control is decided upon for the
railroads. Such reforms include: Main.
tenance of the permit system so as to
control the traffic at its source, mainte-
nance of heavy loads for cars; pooling of
repair shops; elimination of circuitous
routes; unifcation of terminals; mainte.
nance of the sailing day plan; consolida-
tion of ticket offices; utilization OF uni
versal mileage tickets standardization
of equipment; maintenance of the uni
form freight classification introduced by
the railroad administration; maintenance
of common time tables between impor-
tant points; maintenance of high demur-
rage rates and uniform rules; establish
ment of through waybill freight from
point of origin to destination; elimina.
ton of the old practice of paying in mile
age or per diem rental for the use Of
freight or passenger cars of one carrier
! by another; simplifcation of the old
practice of apportioning interline passen-
ger revenue; and utilization of water
routes for the relief of crowded rail
lines"
Competition and self-interest of indi-
vidual roads would prevent the carrying
out of many of these reforms under the
old system of private management, de-
clared Mr.. McAdoo.
The retiring director general told the
senators how the government, taking
over the railroads the first of last year
at time when they were threatened
with physical and financial breakdown
had righted conditions gradually, moved
6 ,496,000 troops, hauled great quantities
Of food at critical time in February
when the very success Of the war depend.
ed on the food situation, and hauled 81,
0S3,000 more tons of bituminous coal
during the 10 months ending Oct. 81, than
in the same period Of the year before.
whatever inconvenience may have
resulted to civilian Travellers" he assert
ed, ARE due entirely to war conditions
and are in no way related to the fact
that the railroads were under govern.
ment control
The director general went at length
into the necessity for pooling terminal
! facilities in scores of cities. This pro-
gram cannot be carried out, however, he
said except under some form of unified
control extending over number of years
He emphasized that waterways should
/ be used more extensively in coordination
with railroads, but expressed doubt
whether this would be done if the roads
went back to competitive private man
agement. The Cape Cod canal should
continue under federal control, he said