The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1919-01-21
MCADOO'S BLUFF

w AoH1ANb AOANs Jan. ~ . nc ANS-
publican Publicity association, thru
us president. Hon. Jonathan Bourne
Jr today gave out the following
statement from its Washington head
quarters:
Unless Congress Immediately en-
acts legislation continuing govern
control OF railroads for a period OF
five years Mr.. McAdoo has threaten
ed to send uvy,e by wireless to Mr..
Wilson to turn them back to their
private owners at once. 1t is part
Of the Democratic plan that the pub
lie. particularly the stockholders and
employees Of the roads should throw
|up their hands In horror at Mr.. Nc
Adoo's suggestion and feverishly
write their senators and representa-
tives in Congress to get busy on the
five year legislation. The chaotic
condition In which the roads now are
with their immense burdens Of in
creased wages and tremendous eq-
uipment bills to meet. 10 enough to
strike terror TO their owners when
the yare suddenly threatened with
the withdrawal Of the financial sup
por of the United States treasury.
But let us study the situation.
and see IL the McAdoo threat is not
a case of pure bluff The first and
immediate result of throwing back
the roads to their owners would be
to send them into the hands of re
ceiyers. The prime duty of receiv.
er is to reduce expenses, and mas
much as there Is hardly a road In
the country that would find It posi-
BILE to meet the enormous drains up
on 1t with its present operating in
come, drastic curtailments would go
into effect at once. The shipping
and travelling public would be the suf
fereres from reduction in the number
of trains, impossibility of collecting
judgments for damages, the prompt
cessation of air improvements that
may be under way, and loss of other
benefits customarily extended to their
patrons by solvent roads. Dividends
of course would cease at once and
the hundreds of thousands of stock
holers would seek a means to reek
vengeance on the individuals and po-
litical party that had been the cause
of their loss. One of the first acts
of the receivers would be to apply
for court order reducing wages OF
employees to a point conforming
with the ability OF the roads to pay.
Such an order would make enemies
Of the men 1t affected. They would
promptly forget the raise In pay
granted them by the administration,
and think only of the reduction fore
ed upon them by the REIMBURSEMENT
of the roads by the government. The
officials Of the roads, upon whom
would fall the tremendous task of
bringing order out of chaos, would
see to 1t that everything possible was
done to bring discontinue to the
men responsible for the predicament
of their properties. In short to throw
the roads overheard at such short
notice would bring such a storm of
condemnation about the heads of
Wilson, McAdoo and the Democratic
party that they would not have a
chance at the elections In 1920 or
for the next fifty years.
"And they know 1t. If there is
one thing above others to which the
administration has devoted itself It
is the attempted cultivation of popu.
lrr approval of it's official acts. To
suddenly reverse their policy in that
direction and bring down upon them
a country wide flood of indignation,
such as Mr.. McAdoo's rash act would
entail, is The very thing above all
others of which the Democrats will
never be guilty.