Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-01
AMERICA s RAIL
SYSTEMS GIVEN
INTO HANDS Of
PRIVATE 0WNE RS
Federal Operation of Trans
p0rtatiOn Lines Ceased at
1901 O'clock This Morn
ing, According to Law.
PROPERTY VALUE IS
20 BILLION DOLLARS
Of the Big Corporation Gre
ated By Mr., MCAdoo as
Director General, Only a
Small Part viii Remain.
tsr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL Leased w,srr

! lb' mSNNlNo JOURNAL SPECIAL lEbBNp WlHtI
Washington, Feb. 29.-America' S
hail transportation systems, oper-
ated as one great public utility
since December rs, 1917, again will
| be divided among their 230 re-
spective corporate owners when
| the government releases control at
midnight Director General Hines,
as the agent of the president, will
Eand over the properties and
equipment, valued at approximate
Ily $40, 1000, 100000, to their old di-
rection, free except for the juris-
diction retained by the government
| in the new railroad reorganization
| bill.
While all arrangement for for
NAL restoration of the carriers to
| their owners were completed yes
/ terday by Mr.. Hines instructions
went out today to operating rep
resentatiVes of the railroad admin
| Illustration informing them they
would report to the proper Off
Gals of the corporations which re-
sumo control at 1901 a. m. March
| L."
OF the gigantic organization Gre
ated by former Director General
McAdoo, only a small part will re-
main.
Mr.. Hines will continue in his
lpresent capacity until about May /,
ALTHOUGH without any railroads to
direct he still faces the settlement
! of ls;arally thousands Off claims
contracts and grievances.
only 147 of the $50 compensa-
!tion contracts with the corpora
itions were actually signed during
the government control and the
remainder will continue to be the
subject of negotiations.
The reply given by President
Wilson to labor's objections to the
Reorganization bill will be consid-
erred tomorrow by the railroad
union chiefs. All of the union
executives who are here will be
Icalled into conference for the pur-
pose of agreeing on O public eX-
jpfession of railroad labor's atti-
tude.
There was no indication tonight
as to sentiment among the leaders,
who had read the presidents state
ment in answer to their request
that he withhold his approval from
the bill.
They said they had stated their
case and that until policy can be
determined, they would remain ST.
lent as to future action.
With the lines again under pri-
yate control, there will be almost
Immediately a resumption of the
days of competition. Corpora
ton heads have been preparing for
this for several months. The vari-
Gus roads will attempt to divide
the business which has been han
died jointly under federal control,
reports Indicated.
The roads go back to private con-
troll under under largely new con-
ditions. The railroad bill, signed
last night by the president, gives
the systems certain new privileges,
but as an offset, 1t enlarges the In
terstate Commerce commission,
both in power and personnel The
corporations no longer are masters
completely of their bond issues, nor
are they allowed to stand solidly
against labor for labor's demands,
if not met by arbitration and nego-
tiation between the parties con-
cerned, go to high courts provided
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