The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-03-14
RAILROAD CONTROL
IS NOT DESIRABLE
Northwest Against Federal
Operation-System
Inefficient

st. Paul. March-As the congress
sional hearings on the railroads pro-
ceeded there was growing convic-
tion in the minds of the people of the
Northwest that the best interests of
the country dictate a return of the
roads to their owners within the
twenty-one month period. Certain
ly, there is no enthusiasm for the
"fve-year plan" On the contrary,
the continued operation of the rail-
ways by the Government brings out
new abuses every day and so far as
this section is concerned, familiarity
with Government operation has bred
anything but liking for that kind of
management.
The mounting deficit under FEEDER
ell control only serves to clinch the
argument against perpetuatiof of the
present railroad rule. 1t is not go
ing too far to say that opinion here
Is thoroughly alarmed over the state
of affairs in the transportation world.
! And the deficit is only one phase of
the inefficiency of the existing Fed
eral management. Shippers and the
public in general might become part
IL reconciled to Government opera
tion of the roads if the increasing
cost of running them were accom-
panied by corresponding increase of
effectiveness. But everybody who
uses the roads, from travelling men
to the large shipper, is outspoken in
declaring that the Federal manage
ment goes from bad to worse.
mo Government Ownership"
Here is a man who uses the rail-
ways daily, week in and week out.
and has done so for twenty years.
When you ask him what he thinks of
Government operation of the rail
lines, he shakes his head in a sort
of hopeless way and exclaims: "NO
Government ownership for mel" His.
hostility to such plan is based upon
the existing inadequate passenger
service, and also upon the Overbear-
ing indifferent attitude of the rail-
way employees.
On the other hand, what does the
average shipper here think of the
present state of affairs? His opposi-
tion to permanent Government own
ership of the railroads is so strong as
to verge on bitterness-and for this
reason. that while the rates are IN
precedentedly high, the nature of the
service he receives in return is I'M
precedently poor. Moreover, the pol
icy of the Federal management in is
suing new and increasingly strict reg
ulations as to claims is having a very
pronounced effect on shippers in gen.
eral AS one of them expressed it:
I'VE get a new batch of rules every
few days. regarding shippers claims,
and all of them are against the ship
per and in favor of the Government.
That sort OF thing naturally does
not go well with the shipper. AS for
the public. whatever sentiment may
have existed before the war in favor
of Government ownership and opera
tion of the railroads is quite
thoroughly dissipated by this time.
The people now are convinced that,
however beautiful such management
may be in theory, and however sue
cessful in Germany and certain other
countries, it has no place in the Unit
ed States of America.
1t requires no deep study of the
trend of public sentiment to realize
that what is wanted is decision by
Congress TO return the roads to pri-
vate control and management. But
it is recognized on all sides that it
would be unfair and even suicidal to
hand back the rail lines without first
preparing the way. While per-
manent Federal management or even
the five-year proposal has met with
no enthusiasm here in the Northwest
there is a strong belief that Congress
must first grapple seriously both with
the rate and the wage problem be-
fore handing over the roads to their
owners Any attempt on the part OF
the Administration leaders in Con
gress to throw the railways back on
their owners without making 1t pos
sible for the latter to operate them
would be a most unpopular move, as
one senses opinion at this time.