St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1919-01-29
Government Should Keep
Control For at Least
That Period
NO OTHER WAY FAIR
Says Powerful Forces of Reaction
Arc Dead Set Against the
Plan

Santa Barbara, Cal, Jan. 2T1-W
G. McAdoo, former Dircctor-Gcnell
of aRilroads and former Secretary o
the Treasury, made public today ;
telegram in which he ulgcd hvc-yea
government control of the railroad
as Il necessity for the devclopmcn
of inland waterways and fer the co
ordination Of the railroads and wat
crways with the new American MGR
Chant marine.
The telegram, addressed to Albert
kreli, cha.i man Ol the Miaml a!ld
Erie Improvement Committee Of the
Cincinnati Chamber Of Commerce Wa
sent in response to an invitation TO
attend an inland waterways meeting
today at Defiance, Ohio.
The message said:
"Regrct It is impossible for men 10
attend your inland waterways meet
ing at Defiance, Jan. q.
''It seems to me futile to cXpcnd
great sums of money on the dcyc!-
opment Of our inland waterways a.
less our government adopts an intel
ligent policy about railroad control
phc future of waterways develops
ment is absolutely dependent upon :,
government control which will en-
force the operation of the waterways
and the railroads and u co-ortli:.atcd
and articulsted system which vii
give the people the benefits of an eff
cient combination of water and rail
.facilit4 e&.-.-This cannot. = be ~ccc:n-
plishcd under the present railroad
law; which provides that the railroads
cannot be controlled by the govern
ment for a longer period than 2!
,norths after the return Of peace.
Within a twentv-orc months period
no substantial devclopmo',; can be
made nor can Their operation in so
brief period afford any adequate
test of their values.
"Upon the return OF the railroads
to private ownership, which must be
made within the 21-nonths period, q:
THE present law provides, the cut
throat competition of the railroads
under private control with the parti
ally developed waterways will Of
fectively destroy water transportation
rs heretofore and the peop]e'' invest
ment IN these facilities will continue
to be Of little, if any value.
"I have urged the CONGRESS- to cv-
tend the period of federal control Of
the railroads for five years because
that will give us time to develop Some
of the moSt important existing water
routes, coordinate them with the
railroads for five years because that
will give up time to develop some Of
the most important existing water
routes, coordinate them with the
railroads and prove their worth As d
part of 4 great American transport
alton system.
81 also feel that the government
should control the railroads and the
inland waterways for a period Of five
years so that they may in turn be CO.
ordinated with our government mer-
chant marine which has been built
at cost of more than two billion
dollars and which under existing law
the government controls for five
year period.
"Unless VIC lcoli at this great prob
lem with vision and from the stand
point solely of the American people
instead of from the standpoint of the
selfish interest of private railroad own
ers, private steamship owners, private
investors, or any other single class,
we shall not measure up to our obli-
cations to the American people nor
realize the great opportunities and
destiny that lie ahead of US.
"The confusion of counsel about
the railroad problem, made daily
more evident by the great variety Of
conflicting views and opinions now
being preso nted at the hearing before
the Interstate Commerce Committee
of the cSnate at Washington, max os
it more and more clear that the
course of wisdom, sagacity and pru-
dence is to extend government con
troll of the RAILROADS for five year;
that our inland WATERWAYS be devcl-
oped to the largest possible extent
during that period and that these in
land WATERWAYS and rail facilities be
co-ordinted with our great merchant
marine in on endevor to Get for Am
erican business enterprises full parti-
cipation in the benefits of worl,l com
mcrcc.