The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-03-13
RAILWAYS GOING
BACK To OWNERS
TRANSFER WHICH TAKES PLACE
ON MARCH us PRACTICALLY
ACCOMPLISHED ALREADY.
NEW LEGISLATION PREPARED
Government Control Has Opened the
Way fer Cooperation, Pooling and
Other Things That Were Net Per-
mittcd IN the Past
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.

mlttGd IN the PaSt
BY JAMES p. HORNADkY.
! NusAiu-tuu.-On The stroke OF II a.
H., March l, the federal government
viii cease 10 operate the railroads of
] the country. Neither the travelling
! public nor lhaI larger section of the
/ public which does not traye! regularly
/ will he able to note that anything I'M
| usual has happened. In other words,
/ ghe daily service OF the transportation
/ lines viii 20 on as il did While the
| government was the supreme author
! ity, and as il did before the govern
| Ing purposes. AS matter of fact the
! transfer of the roads back 10 their
| owners has already practically taken
| place. The change OH March l will
/ largely he one of bookkeeping. Dur
| ing the last month the railroad admin
| istratiOn which was established here
when the government as war neces-
| sity began 10 operate the roads has
! been quietly returning various func-
! tons TO the respective owners of the
roads. by the morning Of March l
| there will not be much visible evil
dence that the railroad administration
/ existed except some vacant desks IN
| the Interstate commerce building.
! 1t IS conceded on all sides that gov
eminent operation of the roads opened
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
il. 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 Wherever 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
Use was made of many terminals. and
also of a great deal of trackage, city
ticket offices were consolidated and
rolling stock 10 a considerable extent
made exchangeable, according TO the
| nf 10 liz
same policy in general way will be
followed under private ownership
seems certain.
From financial standpoint govern
ment operation. of the roads was not
u success. On January l of this year
the roads had been under government
cOntroH for two full years. In this
period the loss was SJ94, 100000, di-
vided S349, 100000 for 1919 and S245.-
100000 for 1918.
Through the railroad legislation,
which, unless there is a slip, will be
ready 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 1t is regarded
as fair beginning. The general ex-
pectation in congress is that within
another year the legislation will have
| TO be revised to meet conditions as
they develop following the return of
the roads TO their owners.
Sweet Law Enough for Present.
No additional legislation relating
10 benefits due the men who
served i'm 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 10 interpret the legislation
In the interest of the ex-service men
In liDerai 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 line with the liberal policy adopt
Ell. d new ruling relating to war in
surance has just been made. Practi-
cally 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 II war
risk (term) Insurance. regardless of
how long 1t may have been lapsed or
cancelled. and regardless of how long
the former service man may have been
discharged, may lie reinstated any
time before July 1, 1920.
| The conditions are:
| ID Two monthly premiums on the
amount of insurance to be reinstated
must accompany the application.
Cd 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 "
i