Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-18
LAST TRIAL FOR RAILWAYS
HOOVER SAYS If THEY FAIL
GOVERNMENT MUST ACT
ASSERTS That Labor IL Ready to CO.
operate and Awaits Opportunity
to DO So.
IBy Associate d rrcss.I


NEW YORK. Feb. 1.-THE return
pr tho railroads to private ownership
pm March I will mean the placing OF
private operation on it's final trial.
n tho opinion OF Herbert Hoover. ex-
PRESSED tonight in his inaugural ad-
stitntc OF Mining Ensincers .' At the the
samo time AFR, Hoover attacked gov
nbnn,n operation OF either rairoads
SIN necessitaied by the war" 10 which
here Wero many fundamental objec
asa," 81: oeysr sR PS5':S has eyer 2st
1e esn dey IN a. that VII repiaGe COM
Character. Both shipping and rail-
ways have today tho advantage of
hard school OF competition. and even
hon tho government operation OF
ae ese enterprises is nHt pI9ying salts
efficiency that would arise from the
aeadening paralysis. of Bureaucracy
sSeopmsn nag Already 0p Ws ean sho oSF
nat no government under pressure OF
eEer.present political or section in
isks of extcn sioPel AND f ,nproSeme mt
AN be free from local pressure to CON
Trial enterprise"
Handbags on Business.
After referring to the handicaps i'm
posed upon business through the fail
r t,n OF transportation facilities TO grow
inucd:
The return of the railways to the
operation upon it's final trial. IL in
y the owners should prove lacking in
Wul be faced with reaction that will
Five tho country to some other form
Equipment. better service. cosoucrat;on
Iwith employees, and the least posi-
bie advance in rates, together with
be, the scales upon Which the puS,ic
will weigh the results"
n, turning TO the question OF shipping,
hr fooSer said that, while with the
aiiroads government inciiiciency could
re- 10 passed on 10 the consumer. ION
translated 10 the national Treasury"
me speaker asserted that as govern
f haErli Gf!ci "a Gond no, ensase in
axe refuge In rigid regulation and
Eject Of Large Fleet.
Tho effect OF our large feet" he
went on. I'm the worlds market is
mus 10 hold up rates. for so long as
this great fleet in one hand holds a
n2od rate others will only barely un-
derbid. II We hold up rates. An in
creasinS number Of our ships will he
idle as tho private fleets grow. We
shall yet be faced with the question
OF cmobilizlnE considerable part
OF this fcet into private hands, or
frankly acknowledging tina. we opcr-
ate for other reasons than interest on
our investment"
The problem Of tho relationship be-
tween the employer and employee was
next discussed b. Mr.. Hoover. lie as
serted that the country had until re-
Gently greatly neglected the human
factor that Is so large an element IN
our productivity" and tina, this ne
Elect had accumulated much OF the
discomfort and unrest throughout the
industrial population and had reacted
In decrease OF production.
Re-EstabIlxh Co-Operation.
with the fact that there is bur one
way out, and that is to again re-cs-
tabiish, through organized representa-
ton, that personal cooperation be-
tween employer and employee in pro-
duction that was n binding force
when our industries were smaller.
The attitude OF refusal to
participate in collective bargaining
with representatives OF the employees
own choosing IL the uegation Of this
bridge 10 better relationship"
Mr.. Hoover dcclared that he was
convinced that the vast majority OF
American labor Fundamentally wishes
to cooperate in production. and that
. lied and the vitality OF production re-
created"
In a brief reference TO the interna-
tional situation. he declared that the
safety OF European civilization was
| changing by slender thread" and
oricntation to world problems.
We arc today contemplating" nc
said. maintenance OF an enlarged
army and navy in preparedness for
even provide some insurance against
war by a league to promote peace