The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-11-25
uNLE TED's RED TINE STORIES
Railroad Service Improves Under
Private Ownership.

settled themselves comfortably IN the
Pullman car Of long train bound for
New York Uncle Ted had been prom
ising the children this trip for long
time and now that they were actually
on the way he thought the best way to
keep them amused until the first call
FOR dinner in the dining car, was to tell
them another story
How would YOU ike 10 hear story
about the railroads while We are
speeding along our way" asked I'm
Gle Ted
"Finew said Jack. "You told US
something about the railroads a long
time ago when YOU said some man
had plan to get the government 70
buy the railroads and give them to
the railroad employees to run"
Yes, Jack, that was the Plumb
plan. Then there are others who still
think the Government ought to run
the railroads but we sure got enough
of that when the government ran them
during the war. When Senator Cum
minis completed the bin which turned
the roads back 10 their proper owners
/ il was bill that was as fair and well
arranged as anything could be. This
must be true because the service on
the railroads has improved greatly in
/ the past few months and the increased
earnings under private ownership and
control prove what | say These facts
are being carefully studied by leaders
I in both the Senate and the House Of
/ Representatives They are constantly
being told about the Plumb plan and
government ownership Of the roads
and certainly the fact that service and
earnings have improved under private
ownership and control will have a lot
TO do with any future plans regarding
legislation for the railroads.
"Now here are few facts to think |
about on this subject When the law
went into effect it turned the roads
back to their owners the first Of last
March. From March until September /
/, eight months, they were operated
by the owners but under a guarantee
from the government that protected
them against any loss of money That
arrangement stopped September 1st
end for the past two months, October
and November the roads have really
and truly again been running as they
did before the war, without any inter-
ference or help from the government"
Doesn't It cost more to ride on the
trains now" asked Ruth
"Yes, il does Ruth, but | have an
idea It wouldn't have cost so much
more if the government had been able
to run the roads right. The rails and
cars were allowed to run down SO that
the roads must spend an awful lot Of
money to get everything in good shape
again. Five days before September /
the rates were raised but even at that,
the :mount made in September fell
short Of the guarantee st by tn Inter
state Commerce Commission which
handles the railroad affairs, so far as
the government goes, and helps TO
regulate rates. The reasons for the
roads not making all they should in
were because most of the
freight that was moving during the
first two weeks Of that month was
handled for the old rates because il
had left in the cars before the new
rates went into effect and also be-
cause II Of the state railroad or pub
lie utilities commissions had not al
lowed the new rates to go into effect.
"But let's get to another point That
of better service. You know the roads
freed mighty hard thing when the
government turned them back. Mr..
McAdoo, when he was director general
of the railroads, raised the pay Of the
railroad men without hesitating and
after he left these in charge kept
promising the men more and more
pay. Now when the roads went back
% the owners they had 20 face the Is
rouble Of adjusting that situation
which looked for time as II it would
nd in one big strike. There were
'ew strikes here and there but no big, \
-eneral strike. However they were
,nough to tie up the freight cars so
hat it was very hard to move food,
uel and the many other things which y
lavc 10 be sent from here and there n
" rail. They Strengthened it out fin
lly though and beginning in May 4
he service began to improve. The
st Of July a committee was formed b
o ret better service and efficiency and
Daniel willard president fof the Bait
more and Ohio railroad was made
hartman" "a
"What did they do ?" asked Jack.
"Wen. Jack, here are the actual re- Z
ults when the railroad adn'niFtra n
ion vas running TIE roads n 1919 y
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