The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-01-17
RAILROAD EXECUTIVES NAME A
WAR COMMIT
TEE.
PLAN A VIGOROUS BATTLE
Elaborate Presentation Of Their Case
Against Government Operation viii
&c Put Before Senate Interstate
Commerce Body.

longation to five years government
control OF railroads was reiterated at
a session OF the Association Of Railway
Executives. Ninety-two per cent of
the mileage of the country was rep
resented at the meeting and practi-
cally every railroad had it's president
here.
An elaborate presentation OF the
contention OF the railroads has been
prepared and this will be laid before
the senate interstate commerce com
mittee at its hearing. A committee
of six will then appear on behalf OF
the companies-T. Dewitt Cuyler,
P~ennsylvani railroad, chairman OF the
Association OF Railway Executives; Al
fred p. Thorn, counsel for the associao
ton; Howard Elliott, president of the
Northern Pacific; julius Kruttschnitt,
president OF the Southern Pacific;
Samuel Rea, president of the Pennsyl-
yania, and Daniel Willard, president
Of the Baltimore and Ohio.
Mr.. Cuyler made public a letter from
Otto II. Kahn, of New York, in which
Mr.. Kahn states his objections to a
policy OF permanent government own
ership and operation of the railroads
and to Director General McAdoo's pro-
posal to continue the present govern
ment control for five years.
Mr.. Kahn's Views.
Mr.. Kahn's letter." commented Mr..
Cuyler, clearly and concisely summa-
rizes the views held by the Associa-
ton Of Railway Executives. The let
ter, In part, follows:
From the point Of view of the
monetary interest Of the investor in
railroad securities the prospect Of
government ownership and operation,
which would relieve him Of risk and
make his income stable and secure,
may be attractive.
From the national point of view,
however, / consider government own
ership and operation as gravely and
far~-reachingly detrimental socially,
economically and politically. 1t is in
compatible with u system and
methods of government and with the
genius Of American institutions.
at would mean lessened efficiency
and lead to stagnation and retrogres'
sion. 1t would mean the setting UP
OF q huge bureaucratic machine, po
litical wire pulling and log rolling
largely increased cost to the merchant
and farmer; indeed, largely increased
cost all around, and many other evils.
Against Five-Year Lease.
I'VE are in the fortunate situation
Of being able through constructive leg.
islation, providing among other things
for strong but not strangling govern
ment regulation and supervision, to
correct such shortcomings in the sysr
en- and methods Of private railroad
management as experience has dis.
closed and to secure for the public
practically all the tangible advantages
which are claimed in favor of govern.
ment operation, without depriving the
nation of the inestimable advantage OF
private initiative and enterprise and
competitive service.
"lf government operation is con
tinued for five years a situation will
have been created financially and
otherwise which / believe inevitably
means permanent government opera
I tion or which mean at the very least
that the return to private management
could only be accomplished after a
period Of turmoil, distress, bitterness
and heavy loss, and in the face of i'm
mense difficulties.
Legislation to separate the short.
comings and incongruities of the pres.
ent railroad situation and to establish
a system of railroading advantageous
to the public and fair to the railroads
offers no problem Of excessive diff
iculty. Such legislation can be had
IL at all-within two years just as well
as within five years. In fact, it is
more likely to be obtained within the
shorter than within the longer period,
ITO return the railroads to private
management, especially after the grave
changes which governmental admins.
tration has wrought in their status,
without adequate legislation would lead
to serious financial and economic dis.
turbances affecting the entire structure
OF national credit"