Republican farmer., 1920-03-19
REIMBURSEMENT OF RAILROADS
 MUST BE SLOW
Greater Effort to Please Public Is To Be Made.

New York, March IS - The rail- | roads of this country are on the way ! toward readjustment following their return to private management, but in the opinion of Robert S. Binkerd. assistant to the chairman of the As- sociation of Railway Executives, this readjustment must of necessity be gradual. MT. Binkerd. in an address to the members of the City Club of New York recently, indicated that the best feature of the situation was the reawakening of the spirit of com petition among the several carriers. MT. Binkerd spoke in part as follows:
 "On March 1 the railroad execu- tives of the country undertook one Of the big tasks of national reconstruc- ton. The railroads made their con. tribution to the war at great cost to themselves. The capital invested in them had to accept as it's compensa- ton a sum not greater than was re- ceived in years previous, but which was paid in the same dollars which labor found had declined to a pur- | chasing power of 43 cents. Hundreds of thousands of tons of rail and bal last, and millions of new ties which ought to be in the road beds of the I railroads are not there. Cars and To- 1 com olives have been used to the ut most and need thorough repair.
 l "The supply of new cars and loco
 motives has been far below normal,
 and is considerably behind the needs of the country. There has been no l net addition to passenger cars, Pull | man cars, nor refrigerator cars for practically three years, during which l time passenger traffic has increased
 over 10 per cent. and the perishable | crops requiring refrigerator transpor-
 tation as much or more.
 ''The problem of making good these | deficiencies, as well as the present l deficiency in net operating income
 would have to be met under either government or private operation
 What we hope will distinguish pri- vate operation will be in the use made
 of the existing facilities The rail
 road companies of the country are
 again competing for traffic. Greater effort will be made to satisfy ship pers and passengers. There will bt a heavy pressure behind operatins
 management to give service in orde
 to attract traffic. There will be nor
 local responsibility in railroad man
 agement; more local and effectiv
 supervision. There will be a welcom
 for initiative and enterprise in man . agement and operation which natur
 ally had to be curtailed under tn conditions of a centralized admins
 tration will again be welcome.
 These statements are not mean
 in the slightest degree as a criticism
 of the management of the railroad during the period of federal contro l o1o f1at
 was undoubtedly mainly due to tn
 unacceptable conditions of governmen I operation and to a temporary re1eas from the necessity of maintainin
 solven finances.
 Neither does one wish to be un q derstood as saying that the abov 1 changes will take place all at one,
 Time will be required for the adjust
 | ment. The morale of individual com
 panies will have to be recreated. Tn
 shortage of facilities cannot be mad
 good for a long time. It is only by
 | slight superiority in operation b
 making cars and locomotives move A | little bit more each day that the trat f1c of the country can be moved. Nevertheless, it is upon the SUI
 cess of private management with i
 superior insistence on efficiency, C e supervision and on economy, and i
 welcoming of enterprise that u F. country will have to look to prevent IS permanent decrease in the cfficient if of railroad operation and an absolu n and rot relative increase in the co ;s l of transportation.
 if ''The railroad executives are unde a taking this trust on behalf of u a country under the terms of the ne law, a law which, while not by al
 I 1o 1 wise or desirable in the common i ,s terests of the country and of u
 railroads, is, neverth eless, a courag
 ous attempt on the part of Congre
 to initiate policies of permane n and constructive nature.
 es '"This law is being accepted by "a 'e road executives in the spirit in wf S' it was enacted. During these next fe II years everything connected with t le railroad transportation of the count le will be on trial The Interstate Cor merce Commission will be on tri Id because on it will largely depe n- whether or not the constructive pu IS poses of Congress shall be achieve as The various State commissions will en on trial on trial to determi al l whether or not they can become int as gra1 parts of an harmonious syste S. of national regulation
 rs ''The organizations of e railroad $, bor will be on trial-on trial to C ne termine whether or not a fair a a. legal machinery for dealing wi g. questions of wages and working co " ditions they will recognize the par ss mount rights of the country to co tn tinuous and efficient service. Al m lastly, the railroad companies thel or selves are on trial on trial to ( he termine whether or not, co-opers ar ing with more constructive and hel
 ful regulation, they will eventua - endow the country with still bet n railroad transportation.
 ,I EFF'or the purpose of determini ,at the rental to be paid to the railro +i1 companies, the three years prior ,1,- our entry into the war was design; oI ed as the "test period.'' These nt 11 years will be a new and still me ,+a important test period, at the end se which the decision will be given ns public opinion-an opinion to whi ar every man and woman in the coun o ShOu1d add a definite and intcIIi@t