The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-01-01
NEW YEAR BRINGS
INTRICATE PROBLEMS
CONGRESS CONSIDERS THE
RAILROAD SITUATION.
Advocates of Permanent Own
ership Marshal, Forces for
Coming Contest,

Washington, Jan. 1.-The new year
| ushered in for the American congress
one of the most difficult and intricate
problems which it has ever had to
| face-the problem of the railroads.
With an investigation, widely her
aided as one that will go to the root
of the railroad problem, opening in
a few days, congressional interest
centered today in the play of the
| forces that will come into conflict
before the senate interstate com =
| merce committee shortly after the
inquiry opens.
Advocates of permanent govern
ment ownership are marshaling their
forces to present the best possible
showing before the committee.
Several senators are preparing i'm
portant speeches on the problem to
be delivered from the floor. Every
means is being taken to line up pub
| lie opinion for and against federal
operation.
The issue before the committee
will not be whether there shall be
permanent government ownership. 1t
will be whether Director General Nc
Adoo's request that the period of fed
eral operation be extended five years
shall be granted by congress, or the
railroads turned back to private own
ership Immediately.
However, congressman said they
regarded the issues as identical.
There is no lack of evidence that
the railroads themselves will ener-
getically oppose Director General
McAdoo's suggestion, but there is a
hint of divided counsel. In some
quarters it is asserted that many
ta1. 80 ~
result if congress should agree to
turn their properties back to them
Immediately. The high costs of ma
terial and labor. have created a situ-
alton in which, it is said, railroad eX-
ecutive officials are apprehensive lest
the confusion that would result might
give rise to an insistent demand for
straight government ownership.
On the other hand, railroad off,
cials openly hold that the adoption
Of Director General McAdoo's pro-
posal would inevitably lead to per-
manent government ownership. Thus
the doubters are between two fires,
&C 60 -. " accepting either alterna-
tive.
Meanwhile, the railroad brother
hoods are busy bringing all possible
pressure on senators and representa-
tives for continued government con-
troll. Hundreds of resolutions recon-
mending government ownership al
ready have been put into the Con-
gressional Record, and thousands of
others still await publication.
Senators Knox and Penrose. of
Pennsylvania, both bitter opponents
of government ownership, are receiv-
ing hundreds of printed circular let
ters, all mailed from the headquar-
ters Of the railroad employes at Re-
nova, Pa, mdorsing government con-
troll. Each letter is signed by the
name of & different railroad employe.
Believing as / do that the con-
sensus of opinion of the people of the
United States is for government
ownership of railroads." the letters
read. 81, as a taxpayer and voter,
appeal to you as our representative
in the United States senate, to use
your support and influence to have
legislation enacted in favor of COM
plete government ownership of rail-
roads,"
Glenn E. Plum. representative of
the railroad brotherhoods, when he
appears before the interstate COM
merce committee, will vigorously
support Director-General McAdoo's
proposal. He also will deal with the
many other issues confronting the
committee.
The railroad brotherhoods are ex-
pected to indorse the position of
many farmers organizations re-
uuesting that new system be
adopted in fixing a valuation of the
railroads. They will insist that the
railroads be given credit only for
prudent investment and that the
greatly increased value of lands given
to the railroads by the government
during the period of their expansion
be not considered at all.