Evening star., 1919-11-12
$S3,355,0DOFOR
R. R. ADJUSTMENTS
House Is Told That Amount
Is Needed to Square
Accounts.

ldiii odu ItS lSid
tion proposed in the House bill, the
railroad administration estimates that
Congress will have to appropriate
$3.50. 355, 900 to square accounts for the
period of government operation of
carriers ending January 1, Repre-
sentative Denison. republican. Illinois,
told the House today in closing gen
eral debate on the measure.
He presented figures received from
the railroad administration giving
"the result of two years of govern
ment operation" showing that the to-
tai financial requirements for the car
r1ers would aggregate S1,613. 1855. 600.
OF which sum Congress already has
appropriated $1.25O, ,OOO,0 900.
Loss to Government.
Operation loss to the government
was placed at S646.T77.000. OF the
remainder. Mr.. Denison said that un-
der the House bill the funded and
demand Indebtedness to the govern
ment by the carriers would be $779.-
SsI,ooo While new equipment trust
organized by New York bankers to
pay the government for equipment
bought for the railroads will owe the
government S1I2.345. 900 on security
ana Sl4 $4,000 will be invested in in
land waterway equipment
Mr. DeniSon said an amendment to
be offered would provide for a set
on OF the standard return. owed to
the carriers by the government.
against the amounts owed the gov
ernment by the roads. If adopted. he
SAID, 1t would result in Congress hav-
ing to appropriate s171.O2O,0O to
square accounts at the end of this
year.
Leaders expected that the rest of
the week would be devoted to reading
me Dill for amendment and its pas
sage on Saturday.
Federal Ownership Opposed.
Applause from both democratic and
republican sides of the House greet
ernment ownership of railroads.
After hearing opponents of the
flunD plan for government owner
snip. with employe operation, the
committee was convinced that gov
ernment ownership was not and never
can De the solution of the railroad
problem, declared REPRESENTATIVE
Esch. Wisconsin, chairman of the in
lerstate commerce committee, which
framed the measure, and the applause
ne received was repeated when others
uttered similar statements
Suggestion of Campaign Issue.
The only suggestion of the trans
portation problem as 1920 campaign
issue was raised by Representative
Sims of Tennessee, ranking demo-
cratic committeeman. While support
Ing the committee plan, centering on,
the extension of the authority of the
interstate Commerce Commission, Mr.
sims reserved the right to offer a
substitute later, proposing contin-
uance of government control until the
end of 1921.
BY that time. the campaign will
have passed. the Congress will have
oeen elected. labor will have gone
through it's reorganization and SO
will Wall street." he said.
Chairman Esch described the bill as
q superstructure built on plan
that had proved well laid" referring
to the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and past commerce acts
Opposition to Parts of Bill.
The debate developed opposition to
measure. Representative Sanders.
democrat, Louisiana, declared against
1t as fundamentally wrong" and like
ly to result in the final burial of
steamboats,"
IF this bill is the best solution
the mind of man can DEVISE" de-
clared Representative Sanders. then
an outraged people will demand gov
ernment ownership"
Less than a half-score of members
Joined the applause provoked by his
remark. and Representative Merritt,
Connecticut. and Representative San
ders.. Indiana, republican committee
members. replied that Louisiana
members criticism was directed
against the bill because of it's nom
interference with the water carriers
The bill restricts the rail carriers,
but at the same time tells the water
lines to go scot free competing with
the steam roads however they please"
declared the Indiana member.
p1nr,h p1on Cr;%;o:eao