Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-01-24

WAIle OF great DeEeHC 10 the puD1c, |
are not relished by some railroad cor |
porations for competitive and there |
Iore selfish reasons. Such improve |
lnents would result in great ecOnO- |
mes, without which it probably would
De impossible to reduce passenger or
freight rates during the twenty-one
months period. 1t is impossible to
carry forward an adequate program
OF improvements and to demonstrate
those operative economies which will
cheapen transportation in a shorter pc
riod than five years.
Must Keep Out of Politics.
I would prefer not to mention poll
ties in connection with this problem,
| because primarily it is an economic
question But we must not be blind.
The American people have been dis
cussing the railroads for generations;
almost every man in public life has
/ gone on record on some phase of the
subject. In 1920 there will be q presi-
DENTAL election. 1t is idle to suppose
! that under such conditions it will be
possible during this or the next con-
greSS to secure calm and deliberate
consideration of the ultimate solution
of the problem, much less fair and
| adequate permanent settlement. This
vital question must not be settle.l in
the heat or passion of partisan poll
tics; it must be dealt with in the calm
of an inter-presidential election period.
Some of the opponents of the sug-
geSted five-year eXtersion of federal
control appear to d. so on the ground
that the operating revenues during the
year 1918 win be insufficient to pay
the rentals guaranteed to the owners.
They forget that most of the wage
increases granted to employees took
effect January /, 1918, whereas the
increased passenger and freight rates
did not go into effect until six mouths
later. If increased freight and pas
senger rates had gone into effect Jan
uary 1, 1913, at the SHINE time as the
! wage increases, there would have been
no deficit. They also forget that the
government took over the roads when
they were completely paralyzed and
when the greatest congestion of traffic
in their history was upon them. Ii
cost the government millions of dollars
| to clear up the congestion and get tho
railroads running again efficiently
They also forget that blizzard followed
blizzard, and that it cost much money
: to overcome their effects. They for
get, too, that the price of coal, of steel
, and of other supplies was far above
normal during the past year. Thes,
added expenses all would have had Il
be met had the roadS continued unde
>, private control and to pay for them
rates would have had to be increased
r Private operation the past year woult
). have failed utterly and the defici
/ would have been greater perhaps thai
; under government management.
Economies Can Be Effected.
!, Under peace conditions, and with
: period of five years of federal contrG
assured, it should be possible to main
; tain existing wages and working cond
:. tions and to effect such economies
! that reductions in rates, both passer
: ger and freight. ought to follow viii
in reasonable time. Unquestionabl
economies can be effected under nn
: fed control that cannot be practice
Il under diversified control. Already tn
extra charge of One-half cent a mil
1t for riding in sleeping cars, imposed Il
: u war measure, has been removed. an
L other restrictions enforced by the wa
are rapidly disappearing.
Unfortunately some of the oppos
Il tion to the proposed fiye-year extei
sion is based on dissatisfaction wit
service given the public during tn
IS war. 1t is argued that conditions hay
1. been bad, although this is not tru
IL 1t can be stated as a fact, which cal
i not be successfully contradicted thf
It service has been greatly improved III