New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-19
Willard Advises
Roads Be Turned
Back to Owners
Regulation by Government
Favored, With Extended
Privileges in Regard to
Pooling and Financing

" USUtNytON DUfSUt
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.-Declarinl
that experience has completely dem.
onstrated the superiority of private
management of the railroads over
government control and ownership
Daniel Willard, president Of the Balti.
more and Ohio, to-day told the Senate
Committee on Interstate Commerce
that he favored a return of the roads
to their owners as soon as practicable
lie submitted as a minimum pro
gramme for permanent regulation leg
islatlon containing the following pro
visions:
|. To provide a. definite rule for
rate making as related to capital
by fixing an adequate percentage
ratio OF railway operating income TO
the combined property investment
account of the railroads as a whole
2. To authorize aihrmatvely the
railroads to combine their proper
ties and operations, subject to gov
ornamental approval, and when shown
to be desirable in the public inter
est.
3. To authorize affirmatively the
carriers to issue securities for con-
struction, equipment, enlargement of
their properties and for the refund
ing of Obligations, subject to cx-
elusive supervision OF the Federal
commission.
4. To provide for the extension.
for reasonable period, of the in
debtedness OF the carriers for ad-
vances and loans made by any
governmental agency during Federal
control
5. In addition, either to create the
new agencies which have been sug-
gested. or enlarged. and extend the
existing regulating agencies so mat
ters requiring governmental deter
mlnatlon may be promptly dis
posed of.
Pork Bill Checks Hearing
Before the committee could proceed
far with examination of Mr.
Willard, insistent calls from the Sen
boris pork barrel" bill forced an ad-
journmcnt Of the hearing until to-mor-
row, when Mr.. Willard viii return to
the stand. He submitted to-day pre-
pared statement. which said, III part:
Competition of service has probably
done more than any other one thing to
raise the standard of equipment and
rs noJicv II snonid NOT ho I;'.b+i,
oiven I'm aod in no a,-ont sbo,,Id : -
ebondonod n,,ioss ,,''lG ~ ~ ".
equal or greater value be obtained in
It's place. do not, however. share the
views that unified control, when de-
sirablc, cannot be had under private
ownership, with governmental regula-
ton. That q condition finally devel-
oped which the voluntary organization
created by the railroads was unable to
deal with promptly and effectively must
be admitted, but we have the direct
statement from the director general
that he, also, would have been unable
to deal effectively with the same stu
alton had it not been for the fact that
he was authorized by law to ignore the
restrictions which applied to the rail
roads under private operations.
"Ihe railroads required, even in the
war emergency, to square their opera
tons with some regard for the regula-
tons and limitations provided for
peace time conditions. but even so. they
carried tonnage of all kinds to the
seaboard so much faster than it could
be absorbed or taken away By the
ocean carriers. that the Eastern ter
mlnais hrst, and others afterward. be-
came seriously congested or blocked.
A Doucy OF enforced competition based
upon congressional enactments dad not
ana could not readily adapt itself to
Che Unforeseen SITUATION
Would Extend Privileges
actual exncrcnce now leads TO Tho
so it seems to me. that the
49, '''