The Washington times., 1919-12-28
BY SENATOR MORRIS SHEPPARD
Of Texas.



definite and satisfactory solLti,
of the railroad problem possible at
this time, therefore. / think the .iov-
ernment should hold the roads until
| fair test Of unified operation can
be had.
l voted against the Cummins bill
for / believe that compulsory arbi-
tration would be ineffective, that was
one of my reasons of opposition to the
measure l still hold that genuine
arbitration pre-supposes a volunts y
submission Of differences.
Representative government Is al
ways on trial ,.
And it is wise that 1t is on trial
before the bar of public opinion. In
his way II can be preserved in its
purity and effectiveness. Only by
experimenting with difficult problems,
trying this and trying that can We
arrive at any solution or remedy of
problems that try our very souls.
Wants Normal Test.
And so runs the world away, wob-
bling between these experiences like
drunken thing beating Its head
With wars and pestilence and finally
orging ahead in the process Of the
suns.
In view OF the IdCls sCt hOI III III
he railway legislation now before
congress, it is my judgment that fail
ire to give the American people
nance to observe Government opera
ion under the conditions of a fair
nd normal test, is to overlook their
'elfare and to play into the hands OF
,ecial interests.
To turn the roads back to private
Iterests at the present time, Is to
cave the whole problem in midair. to
.reate confusion and disaster.
And unless the final solution OF the
'ailroad problem Is deferred until
economies and possibilities Of unified
control can be fairly realized, con-
u ess VIII have acted without a proper
grasp of the problem
Public Entitled to Test.
The public is entitled to have q rea.
onably fair test under peace condi-
ions as to the advantages to be de-
we'd from the reforms inaugurated
der Government control, and
ariod of years would be necessary to
hable Congress and the American
eople to estimate properly the re-
Llts of unified operation.
Without attempting to discuss the
ewildering phases or to wade
rough the maze Of data on the rail-
'ad question, l presented to the
nate fifty facts which l consider
i'll form ample bases for the conten-
on that the Government should re-
in control of the railroads for a
ariod which will afford a genuine
.st of unified operation.
The war emergency proved that the
ailroads under private control were
nequal to the traffic demands and
howed their inability to handle the
affic needs of the nation. Traffic
as paralyzed. Hundreds Of carloads
food products were delayed in
eaching markets. New construction
roads had almost collapsed by 1916.
I'D by the end Of December. 1917,
early l45, 900 cars had accumulated
= result of traffic congestion in the
.rritory east of Chicago and st. Louis
nd north Of the Ohio and Potomac.
IS Big Railway Companies.
At this time there were seventy-f1ve
lilway companies with operating
venues of s10,0O0,000 or more per
ar each, and los companies with
perating revenues less than 100000
20 but more than S1,000O00 per year
sch, and several hundred with oper-
Ting revenues with less than a mill
| N dollars year each.
These roads had not been con-
| tructed with view to co-ordIna ion.
any Of their terminal facilities
ere outgrown by the country. This
as soon discovered by the Govern
! nent. 1t also found many defective
| ars and locomotives and lack OF fa-
| rlities for putting them into condi-
| on.
| 1t found that roundhouses built
wo decades b, fore for 10 romotives In
| ervice at that time were still do ng
ervice to house engines more than
| vice the size for which they were
| INSTRUCTED.
II found that repairs had to be
| made In open roundhouses with tenn
| Derature below zero and in many
ases locomotives were frozen to the
racks and could not be moved. Tn
! government found that the railroad
! ompanies had not single service
! BILE locomotive in reserve.
Success. In I3 Months.
! Thirteen months later the Railroad
! administration under Federal Govern
nent. after successfully handling tn
| greatest tonnage in the history Of
! ne country. despite unprecedented
/ difficulties. had in storage and r. adv
/ for winter service 1,1S9 Locomotives
| which was due to a coordination of
| shop work which resulted in an aver
age increase OF nearly 81 per cent a
week in the number Of locomotives
receiving classified repairs.
! Many railway lines had Inadequate
: locomotives, but by December IA
1918. the Railroad Administrato on
had sent 2.2OO locomotives to other
hops for repairs.
Before Government control. practi
"allv every railway had its owl
Speci Scations for cars and engines
and there were 2.o23 different STYLES
OF freight cars and locomotives. bu'
the Government introduced twelve
standard types OF freight cars and
six types of locomotives OF two differ
ont weights have been agreed upon
The parts of these locomotives anl
cars are intepchanGeable. One OF tbs
locomotives uIder the old system hac
10 be held out of service until an ex
pense of $4,000 had accumulate
awaiting a part, the cost of which
was not over $50.
Labor Conditions Grave.