The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-05
ONLY SOLUTION OF
 ROAD PROBLEM IS
 5-YEAR EXTENSION
Other Plans Considered In- adequate Expedients, Me AdOo Tells Interstate
 Commerce Committee
By Associated Press

Washington, January 4 .oossy through proposed five year extension of government management of railroads can the government move toward a permanent and comprehensive solution of the railroad prob lem, Director General McAdoo insisted today in testifying at the Senate interstate commerce committees hearing on rail- road legislation.
 Other plans, such as private manage ment, possibly with limited consolidation of lines and with> government super- vision, MT. McAdoo said he considered Inadequate expedients' and make shifts and he was prepared now to make no further recommendation if Con- gress decides not to extend control as he had suggested.
 Questions of Senators Kellogg, Gore, Mclean, Townsend, Cummins and Wat son were directed at MT. McAdoo in a vain attempt to ascertain his ideas of what course would be best as an alter native for the five-year proposal.
 FEARS POLITICS
 Fear that railroaA men would be thrown into politics of the next pres- dential campaign constituted one of the principal reasons supporting the five-year suggestion, MT. McAdoo asserted.
 If the railroads are held only 21 months" he said, 'I fear the employees themselves would become objects of so- licitation for one plan of campaign or one group of candidates. The railrads of the United States must be kept out of politics"
 He defended government operation against what he described as 'an at- tempt to discredit it on the ground that net earnings had been insufficient to pay the compensation guaranteed by the government" saying judgement of uni fled operation should be based on earn ings only in normal peace times, and that this was another reason for testing government control for five years.
 My judgement is that the test would show something conclusivel do not know what said MT. McAdoo, replying to Senator McLean's query: ''Can we test one system by trying another?' TO senator tore $ inquiry. DoH you think the railroads should be permitted 20 's, ~- consolidate, gravitating toward two or three competing national systems, with some government supervision?' MT. McAdoo answered.:
 WANTS TO DEAL FULLY
 T think that would be only a pallia- tive to deal with certain conditions. would prefer to deal with the question ccmprehensively."
 At the end of his testimony MT. Mc- Adoo and Senator Smith of South Caro- lima, chairman of the committee, ex- changed brief complimentary speeches. It was the occasion of MT. McAdoo's last appearance before a body of Congress before retiring as director general
 On Monday the committee will hear Edgar E. Clark and other members of the interstate commerce commission, and probably Tuesday, A. P. Thom, counsel of the Association of Railway Executives, will present the railroad s views
 Mr McAdoo still is expecting daily to receive word from President Wilson concerning the appointment of new director, and has no information indi- eating the reasons for delay, it was stated. If no selection is made by the time he leaves for a vacation in Cali fornia next Tuesday, he will maintain nominally the functions of director gen. eral, although Walker D. Hines, his as- sistant, may act informally as director, designated by MT. McAdoo. as he has done frequently in the past.