New-York tribune., 1920-03-01
Rail Executives Optimistic
As Roads Return, to OsUneys
Responsibility for Success Of Legislation Put Up
to Commerce Body, but Officials. Predict
Normal Service Will BE Restored Soon

the 275 900 mcn and women who com
prisc the personnel of the Pennsylvania
Railroad sS TEN will respond to this
spirit and work together as we have in
the past We shall succeed In satisfying
the public and earning n fair return
for tho many hundreds Of thousands of
our citizens and their institutions who
furnished the money To create and i'm
prove this great public transportation
system and who have ntrusted It's OPP
GRAFTON to u.s."
Public Service First Aim
William H. Truesdnle. president Of
the Delaware, Lackawanna g. Western
Il think the people Of the country are
very much encouraged over the return
Of the ronds. Some things will have TO
be worked out, and IL will take time TO
solve different problems We will hnvc
public service uppermost In our minds,
but the public must not expect the i'm
provement to come too soon.
There now exists a shortage Of ears,
which will delay improvement. And
questions Of fare will have to be set
tied. There Is. too. the labor question,
and there will have to bo adjustments
with railroad employees. But we feel
that all this will be done amicnbly and
with complete cooperation. The EN-
ployers viii have the best interasts OF
their employees at heart.
"Thc roads under Federal control
werc not properly maintained. They
will be restored TO normal conditions
AS soon as possible"
Praises Law as Constructive
W. G. Besler, president and general
manager OF tho Central Railroad of
To-. tn..
of constructive legislation and. on the
whole, | approve the measure rs it
now stands very heartily, The moot
point in the measure has been Section
G, dealing with tho establishment OF
rates which will yield fair return
upon the capital invested. From the
frat have been strong contender
for this provision, as | was convinced
its passage would be followed by very
satisfactory results What Is needed
Is an advance in passenger and other
rates in the same proportion IA the
value of the dollar hns declined. While
the upward trend of pricca in virtually
every other commodity has kept pace
with the fuctuating monetary stand
ard, railroad rates have made no such
changes"
Solid Foundation Of Credit
r.. Z. Loomis. president OF the Lchirh
Valley Kailroad-"l believe the Inter.
state Commerce Commission Will handlo
the problem put 10 it In big way
think the commission will sense tho
countr wide demand that our trans-
portation lines be placed on aola
foundation of credit which will enabla
them to grow and n; the same time
meet thc service demanded by thu pub.
lie. Under the bill Congress decrnes
the railroads shall earn Il living wage.
bnscd upon tho value Of their pron-
critics Federal vnluation Ia not vet
completed and it falls upon the com
mission 20 determine what constitutes
property values in hxing basis for
rates. This is the cruX Of tho situation.
III tho commission takes II narrow
or prcJudlted view and fails to con.
slder ali of the elements properly en-
terng into property values, many rail.
roads arc going 10 find themselves
again drifting into a dangerous fnan-
eial condition"
Lorcc Optimistic Over Outlook
l.. r. Lorec. president of the pcl,.
ware Hudson--"l think the railroad
men OF the country have their workssus
out for them, but tho return Of the
roads was the only thing that would
have snved the situation. Officials of
| the Delaware & Hudson are very opti.
mistlc over the outlook. end we expect
great Improvement in service This,
however, viii require time and the
public must have patience.
Under Federal control the roads
were more or esq manhandled and the
return did not come bit too soon
The properties were demorallzed and
It Will take work TO put them IN shape
The question of passenger rates is u
question Of the future, and no ono can
say just what will happen at this time
III do not consider labor q serious
question. We feel confident that the
differences between the employees and
employers can be settled satisfac-
oriiy"