New-York tribune., 1919-01-24
Ordered Standardization
Over Rail Chiefs Protest,
Senate Committee Is Told
Favors Traffic Pool
Southern Pacific Chairman
Declares Larger Roads
Thus Would Aid the Weak
Ns,r York Tribune
WASHINGTON BnreGU

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-William c.
McAdoo. when Director General of
Railroads. overrode the judgment of
his expert advisers when he insisted
on the adoption of a standard type of
locomotive for all the railroads Of the
country, according to julius krutt-
schnitt chairman of the board Of the
Southern Pacific Railroad. who was re-
called to the stand to-day by the Sem
ate Committee on Interstate Commerce
for purpose of further questioning.
Replying to inquiries of Senator
Kellogg, of Minnesota, Mr. Kruttschnitt
said he understood that each of the
members Of the committee appointed
by Mr.. McAdoo to prepare plans for
standardized engines had given it as
his opinion that the idea was imprac-
ticable. Nevertheless, the witness said,
the committee went ahead at the direc-
tion of Mr.. McAdoo. and, in reporting
stated that they had done the best
they could with the idea.
GAS | understood the matter" said
Mr.. Kruttschnitt, "they had no dis
cretion whatever in the premises"
ODUOSeS STANDARDIZATION
Had the corporate officers OF the
companies been left in charge, he said,
they would not have undertaken stand
ardization. Each of them. he declared,
had concluded it was impracticable.
Every locomotive builder in the coun~
try, he said, had plans for the kinds of
engines needed by nearly every COM
pany, and the locomotives could have
been built from these plans more ex-
peditiously than from new ones of the
standardized design.
Mr.. Knuttschnitt took pains to eX-
plain that he did not know of his own
knowledge what McAdoos instructions
to the committee were, but assumed
they left the experts no alternatives
but to prepare the plans. Only a short
time before the Standardization order
was given, he said, Alba Johnson, pres
1dent of the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
had written an article pointing out the
lmpracticability of the idea, and the
witness called attention to the fact
that Mr. Vauclain, vice epresident of
that concern, was chairman of the
Standardization committee.
Shippers to Be Heard Next
Plans of the Senate committee to
allow representatives Of the railroad
brotherhoods to follow Mr. Krutt-
Scnnltt on tne StaNu were upset by a
request of the brotherhoods for a.
postponement of their appearance For
that reason spokesmen for the various
shipping interests will be heard next,
beginning probably tomorrow morn
ing. Those desiring to be heard are:
Clifford Thorne. representing the
American Petroleum League, National
Live Stock Shippers League, National
Council of Farmers Elevators Asso-
citation, Corn Belt Meat Producers AS
sociation and the Western Refners
Association.
Edgar J. Rich, representing the Mas
sachusetts Chamber of Commerce and
other New England shipping interests.
R. c. Fulbright, representing the
Southwestern Industrial Traffic League
and others.
Hamlin Palmer, representing the
Panhandle Shippers League.
{. Cotterill, the Southern Traffic
League.
Judge S. H. Cowan, National Live
stock Association.
The group Of shippers represented
by Mr.. Thorne desires the return of
the roads to private management.
Alleging the railroad administration