The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-03
WHY THE DELAY?

Time is going by without any APP
parent movement on the part Of con-
gress toward action on Mr.. McAdoo's
suggestion that the period of govern
ment operation of the railroads be
extended five years Neither has there
been manifested any sign that the
roads will be returned to their owners
at an earlier date than that fixed by
law. If this congress do not act, pos
sibly the next one will.
All the railroads in this country
stand in need of the most thotful
continuous study and planning in ord
er to bring them up so they will be
abreast of the demands of the public
and in order to keep them so. How
are we situated in that matter with a
date fixed 81 months after peace. for
! the railroads to go back to private
control? In the first place, we have
the consideration that no improve
ment of very great Importance can
be planned and brought to completion
within much less than two years, and
perhaps longer. It is evident, there
fore, that the continuance of that
Termination means practical paralysis
of the development of additional rail-
road facilities.
The railroad administration cannot
satisfac torily plan to carry out i'm
provements to meet peace conditions
when, by the time those Improvements
are completed. the railroads presum-
ably will go Nback into other hands.
and perhaps under other conditions.
The railroad corporations in the ma
ture of things cannot be expected to
give their hearty cooperation in work
ing out a scheme of Improvements
which will not be completed in time
for the railroad administration, which
plans them, to use them, and which
will be completed at the time there
may be a change back to private
management when the improvements
will seem to be less appropriate than
under a unified form of control.
The embarrassment of carrying out
any comprehensive program of CAPT.
tai expenditures is of itself sufficient
reason for reaching the conclusion
that as between the two courses of
holding the railroads for 81 months
and of letting them go promptly the
latter is the course to adopt, so that
the railroad companies can take hold
of this matter of improvements and
use their own judgment as to what
shall be done rather than have. a
situation where nobody is free to use
judgment on the subject except the
negative judgment of doing nothing.
In the matter Of necessary and ur-
gent capital expenditures, things that
must be done and obviously ought to
be done, the question is how they can
be done satisfactorily by the railroad
| administration, with this limit staring
it in the face, and also the question as
to where the money is to some from
to do them. It will require an add
tional appropriation from congress if
! federal control be continued for any
considerable part of the 81 months.
Conditions are not favorable for get
ting satisfactory appropriation,
| either in this congress or the next.
1t is hard to outline what is needed;
| it is hard to fix the amount of the
appropriation. If large enough to
meet all needs it may be so large as
to make congress unwilling to lend
it. If so small as to satisfy congress
it may be so small as to hamper the
administration turnout the period.
This question as to capital expendi-
lures is of itself a sufficient reason fol
| refraining from holding onto the rail-
roads for~21 months, and for adopting
instead the plan of an early return