Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-01-30
FRIDAY, JAN. 30, 1920
Taking the Railroads Out of Politics.


OF all the delicious bits OF unntentional humor of
which / know of the choicest is the argument of
those who opposed ownership of trans
portaton systems because they afraid lit would put
the railroads in politics. Put the railroads in politics?
Shades Of Jay Gould, c. P Huntingdon and E. H. Harri-
mani When have they been of politics? Such
argument about logical it would be for sick
with smallpox to object being vaccnated for fear he
might contract the variolod The railroads have only
been in politics from time when the mind of rum
meth not to the contrary but with the help OF other big
interests they have controlled state and national govern
ments Public ownership will do more than anything else
to get the railroads out of not into politics
A more logical and yet false argument is the
which points that the government has lost money
in operating the railroads the past two years Senator
La Toilette in his remarkable speech the railroads.
copy Of which he the other day to reader of
this paper pointed out that the railroads showed profit
for the months of july August September and October
1919 To this Cummns replies that the railroads
showed larger profit for the months in 1918
but ended the year with deficit of 100000 This
however, ignore other very material facts
in this connection OF course the profits OF the roads for
those months in 1918 larger than they for the
months last year. because from July to November
1918 traffic at it's highest point whereas,
had income from this immense war traffic in 1919
When the war ended with the close of the 1915
1T found the government with immense transport
alton machine built and geared the emergen
cy demands for munitions and food for army
and those of allies, and for the peoples of Europe
Suddenly with the coming of the armstice all contracts
resulting from the war were cancelled aud war traffic
ceased But the government compelled carry
into the following year of 1919 traffic system
and designed to conditions. The expense of
this monster machine could not be reduced immed
ately without throwing hundreds of thousands out of
employment and inviting general economic disaster You
change efficient transportation system into
efficient peace transportation system night But
by july 1915 the railroad administration had made
progress IN reducing overhead and putting the
system more normal basis Although conditions
0f over VET WIN fiara To violin
of traffic the of handling it, August September
and October of 1919 began show substantial profits
The outlook for substantial profits for November and
december bright, and for the entire year of 1920
excellent stated by the officials Of railroad
administration and the Interstate Commerce Commission
expressed the belief that the succeeding months
would show profit Traffic during 1920 certain
be very heavy and the expenses of opera
tion being reduced rapidly reduction could
be safely accomplished. Then steel and coal
strikes and smashed the receipts for November and
undoubtedly deeply into the December receipts But
losses due to strike conditions chargeabe gov
eminent operation, and Intellectual honesty would ex-
clude them from any comparison between
private and operation 1t is such facts
those above which. do not think persons opposed
continuation of the present experiment. in govern
ment operation for two longer, tane sufficiently
into account.
OF course, neither anyone would be satisfied
with the present arrangement as policy It
is at best habaked arrangement which is neither fish,
flesh good red herring It certainly real
government ownership operation and for the past
two years it has been apparently studied attempt
disgust with all forms of government ownership
The who operated the railroads under private
ownership and who will continue to operate Them if
the roads turned back private hands now have
had charge of their operation during the past two years.
and it has not been to their interest make this soced
government operation success. But So believe
that it is better TO continue employ this makesh
arrangement for two years longer while working
out this problem, than to turn the railroads back per-
manenty to the old hands that have brought
present transportation ills believe that the
two years. with peace conditions and aroused public
interest," would show much satisfactory results,
both in the finances and the quality of service whereas
know that if the roads go back private hands now
with governmentay guaranteed dividends proposed in
the Chmmins and Esch bills, may confidently expect
rates to be increased from Is to 40 per cent.
But even if government ownership and operation
were expensive in dollars and than private
ownership and operation "a thing which do grant,
still believe that it would be worth all it cost to the
the people, not because it would put the railroads in
politics. but because it would take them out of politics.
The of this corrupting influence politics
would comprise moral gain that cannot be measured in
dollars and cents-James M. Pierce in The Wisconsin
Farmer.