Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-13
CBy William G.. Mcidoo, Former ID
rcrfor Ernar.l Of RnilrOadS.l

| tISy HHtl.t.1 G. hG.AIOO, tOfDltE III
rector General Of R~pilroads.)
Tho railroad problem is today one
! OF the most. if not tho most. important
! and vital domestic questions facing
the American people. Our welfare
| and prosperity depend OF its proper
solution.
Let me say Immediately that at the
present time l am neither an advocate
nor an opponent of government own
| ership. But while MY TENDENCY
us AGAINST GOVERNMENT OWN
ERSTiV and in favor of \ wisely reg
! ulated private ownership under
strong federal control. | am frank to
say that / am not afraid of govern
ment ownership should experience.
gained by an adequate test. prove that
Il is the best solution Of the problem.
We arc living In n new day in Amer
lea; 80 world IS throwing off old
shaci IS: we must do what seems best
IN view of demonstrated facts, regard
less OF p-reconccptions. | favor a five
year test period because l believe its
results VIII tell us |C0nvincingly which
is better. government ownership or
private ownership, wisely and ade-
quatcly regulated under the superior
authority of the federal government.
The suggestion most generally ad-
varced by the opposition is tina the
roads be continued under government
operation fer the twenty-onc mi
period after the var. as provided by
the present federal control act, n
that. during that time, remedial leg
i~siation (thcre is an utter lack OF
agreement on the details of such leg
islation) be enacted to return IN
roads to their private owners.
There are two reasons why such a
course seems to me impossible:
FIRST. the roads cannot be operat-
ed successfully under the present act
for twenty-one months with the pre-
pect or their return to their owners
at the end Of that time approaching
nearer every day;
SECOND. no adequate and fair
remedial legislation can be obtained
within that time, in view of the po-
lltical situation and the lack of crys-
taIliZation OF the thought of the ma
ton as to what is the best permanent
| solution.
The most serious obstacle to going
on with the present system of federal
4 Controi under existing limitations
while congress tries TO work out REM
+ edial legislation is that OF morale. The
railroad officials and employees OF the
United States are only human. If they
see the end of federal control rapidly
approaching, with their positions and
their future the constant subject of
partisan political controversy, and
with an entirely different system OF
| control. which will vitality affect each
individual emplove. about to go in ef-
feet. they naturally cannot work with
undivided thought and at the highest
point of efficiency; they will be think
ing inevitably Of the interests OF the
private owners whose employees they
will soon become, and they Will pay
less and less attention to the govern
ment officials operating the roads.
Where the interests of the private
owners and of the government clash,
as they unayoidably will IN many cas-
es, employees will hesitate which In
! terest TO serve.
This is not theory; this is a stub
born fact.
Already. signs of the difficulty are
beginning to appear.
Then, too, were the effort made to
continue the present control under ex-
isting legislation. the railroads, from
n physical standpoint, might stand
still. or wen deteriorate. during he
t~wenty-one months period. Without
the cooperation OF the railroad cor
porations, 1t isrl,tor or under the
present law to es22ch 1Grd improve
ments or to obtas Nice mt
| purchases of necessity equipfent.
Some opponents OF he suggested
nve-year extension of federal control
take the ground that The operating
revenues during the year 1918 will be
insufficient to pay the rentals guaran-
teed to the owners. They forget that
NEST of the wage increases granted
employees took effect January ], 1918.
whereas the Increased passenger n