Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-03-16
RAILWAYS GOING
BACK To OWNERS
TRANSFER WHICH TAKES PLACE
ON MARCH 1 is PRACTICALLY
ACCOMPLISHED ALREADY.
NEW LEGISLATION PREPARED
Government Control Has Opened the
way for Cooperation, Pooling and
Other Things That Were Not Per-
mitted in the Past.
By JAMES p. HoRNApAY.

ihh'SS iH0l were NSl F6T-
mitted in the Past.
BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY.
Washington.-On the stroke of II a.
m., March /, the federal government
VIII cease to operate the railroads of
the country. Neither the travelling
public nor that larger section of the
puDiic which does not travel regularly
Will be able to note that anything I'M
usual has happened. In other words,
the daily service CT the transportation
lines will go on as it did while the
government was the supreme author
ity, and as it did before the govern
ment took the roads over for operat-
ing purposes. AS a matter of fact the
transfer of the roads back to their
owners has already practically taken
place. The change on March 1 will
largely be one of bookkeeping. Dur
ing the last month the railroad admin
istration which was established here
when the government as a war neces-
Sity began to operate the roads has
been quietly returning various func
tons to the respective owners of the
roads. By the morning of March /
there will not be much visible evil
dence that the railroad administration
existed except some vacant desks III
the interstate commerce building.
1t is conceded on all sides that gov
IF III 1c
the way for the doing of things that
were not done under the old private
management simply because the gov
eminent itself prohibited their doing
it. The old idea was that there should
be a minimum of cooperation and a
maximum of competition. Thus it was
that the government prohibited pool
ing and held up warning hand every
time the railroads showed any incli-
nation of pulling together.
Cooperation in Vogue.
The dominant note of federal oper-
alton was cooperation. WheIever in
the judgment of the railroad admins
tration better service could be obtain
ed through pooling of interests pool
ing took place. The result of this all
was that for the first time in the his
tory of American railroads common
Csc vas made of many terminals, and
also OF great deal of trackage, city
ticket offices were consolidated and
rolling stock to a considerable extent
made eXchangeable, according to the
necessities of the day. That this
same policy in general way will be
followed under private ownership
seems certain.
From a financial standpoint govern
ment operation of the roads was not
a success. On January 1 Of this year
the roads had been under government
control for two full years. In this
period the loss was $685., 100000, di-
vided $349,200,000 for 1919 and $780,
100000 for 1918.
Through the railroad legislation,
which unless there is a slip, will be
l@ady by March l when the roads go
back, the government will maintain a
closer supervision than ever before
over the railroads. This legislation is
by no means satisfactory to all the
interests involved, but it is regarded
as a fair beginning. The general ex-
pectation in congress is that within
another year the legislation will have
10 be revised to meet conditions as
hey develop following the return Of
he roads to their owners.
Sweet Law Enough for Present.
No additional legislation relating
gerved in the world war is to be
undertaken Immediately. This deci-
sion has been reached by the leaders
in congress after many conferences
with the officials of the war risk bu-
reau. 1t is believed the new ratings
fixed by the Sweet law, now in effect,
will stand through the coming fiscal
year anyhow The war risk bureau
continues TO interpret the legislation
in the interest of the eX-seryice men
in liberal way; every doubt is cast
in favor of the man who was willing
to give his life for the cause for which
the war was fought.
In lire with the liberal policy adopt
eu, new ruling relating TO war in
surance has just been made. Practi-
caIly every one of the 100000 service
men took out Insurance when they en-
tered the service. Many thousands
have let their policies lapse since the
armistice. The new ruling is for the
benefit of these men. Under it war
risk (term) insurance, regardless of
how long it may have been lapsed or
cancelled. and regardless of how Tong
the former service man may have been
discharged, may be reinstated any
time before July !, 1920
The conditions are:
ID Two monthly premiums on the
amount of insurance to be reinstated
must accompany the application.
co The applicant must be in as
good health as al the date of dis
charge, or at the expiration of the
grace period. whichever is the later
date, and so state. in the application.
Offer is Very Liberal.
The new ruling is a liberalization of
war risk insurance since the passage
of the Sweet bill, and is designed for
ORIGIN OF THE HORN BOOK"