New-York tribune., 1919-01-05
Administration in 1918 have been de-
livered
No Freight-Car Shortage

NO Freight-Car Shortage
Similarly lie showed that OF the
1900 locomotives ordered but SAP had
Deen delivered. Mr.. McAdoo said that
at present there was no shortage in
irelght cars, though a very serious one
loggs statement that there had been
many serious complaints concerning
the manner in which the railroad ad-
mlnlstration had moved livestock, Mr..
McAdoo emphatically declared that the
movement Of livestock had been better
than ever before.
Returning to the subject of earnings,
Senator Kellogg stressed the fact that
IN spite OF the great powers exercised
by the Director General to effect econo-
mics, the Interstate Commerce Com
MISSIONS report showed that during
the last ten months of 1917 the proper
tion of operating expenses to gross
expenses was 60 per cent, whereas for
the same ten months in 1918 it went
to S0.3>per cent.
Mr.. McAdoo replied again by calling
attention to the extraordinarily high
costs in 1913, which the roads had TO
carry for the entire year, as against
the fact that the increased rates ap-
piled only for the last six months.
Fuel Costs Increase
100000 more than in 1917, which in
crease would more than offset the
deficiency Of S136,0000 900, representing
the difference between earnings and
the guaranteed rental price to the
roads Taking the four months period
between July and October. inclusive
Mr.. McAdoo estimated that with the
elimination of the back pay adjust
ments required under the wage in
crease the proportion of operating
expense to gross expenses in 1918
would be 67.4 per cent, as against 679
per cent in 1917.
1t was in this connection that Sem
ator Kellogg brought out the fact
that the Railroad Administration had
not included in its operating expenses
under Federal control the salaries of
the LOO employees Of the central Office
although the expense of corresponding
officers and employees showed in the
operating expenses of the roads in
1917, under private management.
Pressed further for reasons for his
insistence on five-year period instead
of the original period of twenty
months, Mr. McAdoo replied:
LET me say this: | feel-and I don't
want to overernphasze it, and it may
be that | am not justified in my feel
ings-that it is always difficult, with
an impending Presidential campaign, to
keep this sort of thing out of politics
to some extent.
"If the railroads are held for this
full twentyone months period, with
rapidly diminishing Federal control, the
employees of the roads will become the
objects of political solicitation, or for
some political purpose that does not
apply to one party. Everybody in a
political campaign, all candidates, want
votcs-Democrats and Republicans
alike-and the result is, that you are
going to have the employcs-someth thing
like 100000 Of them-in turmoil Of
political ferment and solicitation
throughout this period Of time and
think this will be entirely destructive
of the morale.
Must Keep Out of Politics
"Now, there is one thing certain and
that is that the railroads must be kept
out of politics. | religiously resented
railroads during Federal control. The
officers who have been appointed have
been appointed without reference to
politics
81 didn't know the politics of the
men who constitute the directors of the
regional districts. | believe | know the
politics of one of them He is q Re-
publican. I did not care what a mans
politics was; the men were selected
solely because ! thought they had the
ability to run the railroads in the in
tercst of the people of the United
States.
"Now, if for political reasons, |
mean from political incentive, or for
any other reason. there is to be a
change of masters coming soon, and
for other things that will enter into
it under the short tenure | have de-
scribed there is a lowering of the
morale of the employees throughout the
country, it will work not only for in
efficiency in operation, but it will also,
in my judgment, because Of that in
efficiency, be an injury or harm not