New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1919-02-08
THE RAILROADS OWN
REMEDY.


railroads have fallen heir to. it Is
necessary first to bring the patient
safely through the present crisis
then t. prescribe a remedy which
will insure his future well-being
So. while Congress discusses some
fourteen plans for the ultimate
disposal of the roads, and the rail
road executives present to the
country their own detailed scheme
for keeping the roads efficient and
prosperous in the years to come.
The Railroad Administration Is
calling attention to certain imme-
late practical needs. We are,
the New York World declares,
confronted by a condition of rail-
road finances and efficiency. and
not by theory Of future railroad
control. At the beginning Of last
month Mr.. McAdoo estimated that
the operating deficit for 1919
would be $136,000,000. This sum
mas since been subject to upward
revision. and the Washington cor
respondents now hear that the
deficit may be $250,000,00O. Rail
road business promises to be
good. the savings from uniform
management are considerable,
rates are 25 per cent. higher than
before the Government took con-
troll, but, observes the New York
Globe "the income gains from the
various sources are more than off
set bv the $900,000,000 increase in
railroad wages" The new Di-
rector General. Mr.. Walker ID.
Hines, has considered five ways
of meeting the threatened deflicit
by increasing freight-raies. by
getting an appropriation from
Congress, by further operating
economies. by increasing the vol
ume of traffic, and by reducing
wages. If seems to the Washing
ton correspondent Of the New
York Times that Mr.. Hines will
find It impossible to find sufficient
additional income in any way ex-
cept by increasing freight-rates or
inducing Congress to appropriate
a large sum to make up the ope-
rating deficit.
This deficit in operating the
roads. it should be noted, takes
no account Of the railroads needs
for betterments and improve.
ments. Railroad construction IN
the United States seems to the
Richmond Times-D Dispatch to be
in "a condition worse than tina,
Of staQnation "for the second
time since the beginning of rail
wav svstems in this country. Q
wear has passed in which more
miles of main lines were aban'
loned than have been built FOL
more than two years. says the
New York Tribune. the railroad!
shave been skimped to the bone
so FAR As any betterments are con
cerned and even an to the needed
maintenance" The Tribune cite
The Railway Age New York; a
reporting that "a careful est'
mate Of experts computes an ar
rearage for maintenance last yea
Of not less than $500, 100000. Fin
eines and cars have been run be
vond their natural term Of lit
and have been bolstered up Z
keep them going in almost an
fasrion. /" That Director Genera
Hines appreciates the situation
seen by his statement that he vii
ask Congress for an appropriated
Of half billion dollars to be speu
entirely for betterments and I'm
proyemcnts, and not for coverin
any arrearages or deficitsS
While the immediate financis
needs Of the roads are thus bein
considered. Congress is taking u
the question Of their ultimate dis
position. and not Congress alone
for, ~ the Boston Globe notes
there is just now going on "a cor
Of town-mecting discusio
throughout the United States o
the future Of the railroads.
seems to the Baltimore Sun tina
the great majority Of the Amer
.an people are opposed to govern
nlent ownership, that the countr,
Is unanimous against return I
private ownership under the oil,
conditions and that sentimen
has crystallized among the II
formed public in favor of exclu
sive Federal supervision and til
elimination Of any measure Q
control by the State railroad CON
missions. As many as fourtee
separate plans have been sur