New-York tribune., 1920-08-08


There has been no material addition to
the total mileage in the last ten years,
and the increase in terminals has been
much less than required. At the be-
ginning of the war the rolling stock
was sadly reduced and inadequate.
The public had not given in pay for
service sufficient revenues on which
credit could be allowed by the banks
Mora! assistance was withheld because
Of railroad policies that did not bring
approval. Many Of these corporations
had made themselves part of political
activities - local, state and national.
Then there were more or less sporadic
instances Of stock-watering operations
and the exploitation of utility proper
ties for personal gain. Abuses were
not general, but they were sufficient to
bring the entire railroad systems of the
country In disrepute.
The good suffered with the evil.
When the transportation lines were
taken over by the government they
were barely able to limp through the
task Of the day. Unity in operation,
the elimination of the long haul and
the merging of every mile Of track and
terminal and every car and engine into
coordinated plan of operation en-
abled the government. t. transport
troops and supplies, at tha anne time
afordlng, under great strasa, salts
factory outlet for our industries. It
should be remembered in this connec-
ton that except for the motor truck
which supplemented transportation by
rail, and except for the great pipe lines
(which conveyed oil for commercial
purposes, we should not, in all prob
ability, have been able to throw our
deciding strength into the balance and
win the war;
Rail Control Defended
Any attempt to discredit the Federal
operation of railroads during the years
OF grave emergency is unfair In the
case of those who know the facts it is
insincere. Too much cannot be said in
praise Of those who directed this work.
nor of the men who physically oper-
ated the lines under the discouraging
conditions of poor equipment. But all
of this is water over the wheel. The
problem of the railroads is still with
us. The government and the public
should render every cooperation in the
utmost good faith to give thorough
test to private ownership.
The railroads have had their Lesson
Government regulation is accepted now
as not only safeguard to the public
but as a conserving process to the
utility
Financial credit is necessary TO
physical rehabilitation and it should
be sufficient for the periods of maxi
mum demand. We should not lose
sight, however, of the vast possibli-
ties OF supplementary service by water
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence nav
lgation project, particularly, should
claim the interest of the government.
About one-third of our states would
be supplied with an outlet for every
ton Of their exports. The opportunity
to make of the lake harbor. areat ocean
ports of entry is inspiring to contem-
plate. In the crop-movng period the
call on the railroads is staggering.
Grain piles up in the elevators. With
stagnation more or less general, the
farmer sells his product under the most
unfavorable conditions. The trackage
and the terminals in middle states par
t.cularly are clogged with this traffic
and interference with local movements
of freight is inevitable. The solution
would be simplified by utilizing the
waterways.
Aside from this, the accruing gain
from every crop would be considera-
ton for the reason that the price of
grain in this country is made by the
Chicago market and it is determined
by the London quotations. The price
in the British metropolis is stated
figure less the cost of transportation.
The routing Of these commodities by
wAter would effect saving of approx
mately cents bushel, which means
that American grain would net just
that much more.
For more than forty years before
Woodrow Wilson was elected President
IN 1912 reform of our banking and
currency system had been almost uni
versally demanded and had been year
after year deferred or refused by the
stand-pat element Of the Republican
party in obedience to orders The con-
troll of money and interest rates hao
long been held by favored groups who
were thus able to dominate markets,
regulate prices, favor friends, destroy
rivals, precinitate and end panics, and
in short through their financial. social
and political outposts, be the real rulers
of America