The Washington herald., 1919-01-04
u. S. ROAD CONTROL
PLANNED BY M'ADOO
OPPOSED BY SENATE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

NAAOh aHI SA'H-
comparing the greatest year the rain
roads ever had under private owner
ship, 1917, with a war year, when oul
one task was to win the war, and cost
wasn't so important as victory?" ht
demanded. Then you'll remember
that we had wage increases of be.
tween $500, 100000 and 500. 100000 in 1871
and a tremendous increase in all ma
terials and supplies. The rate increase
which we put in effect didn't become
operative until July, and the revenues
from it showed only the last half o.
the year"
McAdoo estimated the profits fol
1919 at $100, 10000 over and above tn,
guaranteed rental.
Would Take Short Lines.
The Director General regards it es
sential to incorporate the short lin,
roads under government control also
Il did not think it justified as {
war emergency" he said, but as
part OF the governments experiment
with unified operation of its trans
portation system the short lines ar
necessary"
Mr.. McAdoo will be before the com
mittee again at 10 this morning fol
an hour. The committee did not wan
to release him so soon. but he haC
made arrangements to leave the city
and pleaded that his assistant
Walker D. Hines. who is mentioned
as his successor, be permitted to tax,
his place.
Does ne know about the matter.
covered in your statement" Mr.
MCAdoO was asked.
L think he knows more about 4
than I do" responded the Director
General.
Reads History of U. s. Control.
Mr.. McAdoo yesterday first read
10000 word statement covering
the history of Federal operation OF
the roads and outlining his reason
for urging a five-yea extension.
Il believe that even under tn,
handiCaps of war conditions a suf.
tcient showing has been made tc
indicate that the reforms which
am outlining as accomplished undel
government operation are desirabl,
as peace measures" he told the com.
mittee.
When Congress comes to tax,
the responsibility of making A fina
decision as to which is the hes
possible permanent solution of tn,
railroad problem one of the mos
important considerations is tn,
question as to which solution will
involve the least financial burder
for the future upon the American
public.
Congress should have an accurate
idea as to the cost of unified control
OF railroad operations under peace
conditions. In order to have an ac,
curate idea on this subject Congress
ought to have before it at least the
operations of the year 1919 under Fed.
eral control These figures can not pe
ready before the spring of 1920.
Can't Get Cooperation.
Not only the impossibiIity of Con.
gress getting data on peace time oper-
ations of the lines under unified con.
troll in time to reach a solution of the
problem before the expiration of the
4 months was urged by the Director
General as a reason for the extension
or the period. but also the inability
OF the. administration itself to get co.
operation of the railroads and rail-
road men, when they expect the lines
10 20 back to private ownership sc
soon, was given as a-reason.
Railroad men are uncertain as "a
the future of the roads. 1t is natural,
and I'm not rejecting on the men
VINO have given us fine cooperation
that, with the patriotic appeal to win
the war past. they should consider the
tact that they may soon be working
for private ownership"
The Director General set out the
economies of operation he had pu,
into effect and indicated a belief tina,
whatever might be the ultimate soIu.
ton of the problem by Congress. II
should be such that these would be-
continued. They included:
Seventeen Economics.
l. Maintenance of the permit
system to control traffic at it.
sources and keep traffic from piling
up on lines that are unable to clear
it.
>. Maintenance of heavy loading
for cars.
3. Pooling of repair shops.
4. Elimination of circuitous
routes.
>. Consolidation OF terminals.
6. Consolidation of ticket Offices
:. Abolition of 9ff-line Offices.
y. Maintenance of the Sailing
day plan"
2. Universal mileage tickets.
IN Stand q -.
II. Maintenance of uniform freight
classification.
Il. Maintenance Of common time
tables.
l3. Maintenance OF high demur.
rage rates and uniform rules.
"A. Maintenance of through way.
billing from point Of original desti-
nation.
-. Elimination OF per diem ol
mileage rental for freight or pas.
senger cars By one carrier to an.
other.
Is. Simplification Of old practice
Of apportioning interline passenger
revenue.
Il. Utilization of water routes fol
relief of crowded rail lines.
Senator Kellogg wanted to know
II II wasn't true that the govern.
ment had refused the railroads the
permission to do most of these
things in the days before the gov.
ernment took control of the lines
He thought the antitrust and anti,
pooling laws had blocked private
owners from carrying out most o.
these reforms, and when Mr.. McAdoC
thought that this was not the cast
cited the Northern Securities deci.
sion as specifically adverse to {
number of them.
Cites Three Alterations.
Mr.. McAdoO made no recommenda