South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-08
CONTINUED FROM PAGE So

. m paw for service. sufficient revenues
ou which credit could be allowed
is the banks. Moral assistance was
withheld because Of railroad poll
les that did not bring approval.
Many OF these corporations had made
themselves part OF political aC-
lvlucs. local, state and national
Then there We're mere or less spOr-
adiC instances 81 stock watering
operations. and the exploitation of
utility properties FOX personal gain
Abuses were not general, out they
were sufficient TO bring tn entire
rai1road systems OF the country in
dIsTcp1.C. The good suffered with
the evil When the transportation
lines were taken over by the govern
meut. they were ba.ell ale 90 limp
through the task OF the day Unity
in operation, the elimination Of the
long haul. and the merging OF eve =
mile Of track and terminal and every
q ar and engine into COO -diEated
eulan % operation. ena blsd the gov
d. vrumeIiJ 70 transport troops and
supplies. at the same time a1Ording,
vnder great stress a sattsfacto y
outlet for our industries. II should
be remembered IN this connection
hat except FOR the motor truck
witch supplemented transportation
by rail-. and except for the crest
pipe lines which conveyed oil for
commercial purposes. we should not,
IL all probability have hren able 10
throvT our deciding strength into the
balance and win the war. Any at
tempt 10 discredit the federal opera
ZION OF railroads during the years OF
grave emergency Is unfair. In the
case OF those who know the facts 10
ID Too cannot be
said IN praise OF those who directed
this work, nor Of the men who phys
ically operated the lines under the
dfscouragfng conditions OF poor
equipment. But all OF this Is water
over the wheels. The problem OF
the railroads Is still with Us, The
government and the public should
render every cooperation in the Ut
most good faith, 20 give thorough
test TO private ownership, The rail-
roads have had their lesson. Gov
eminent regulation Is accepted now
as not only a safeguard 70 the pub
lie. but as a conserving process TO
the utility. Financial credit IL neces-
sary TO physical rehR Utilization and
II should be sufficient for the periods
II maximum demand, We should
lot lose sight, however, OF the vast
possibilities OF supplementary service
by water. The Great Lakes and
st. Lawrence navigation project, par
ticularly, should claim the interest
OF the government, About one-thFd
81 our states would be supplied with
an outlet for every ton OF their eH-
rorta. Tho opportunity 20 mako the
- lake harbors great ocean ports Of
entry fs inspiring TO contemplate, In
the crop.moving period, the call on
the railroads lie staggering, Drain
piles up 10 the elevators, WITH stag
nation more or less general, tho
farmer sells his product under the
most unfaYDrRbls conditions, Tho
ttackage and tho terminals IN middle
states particularly, arc ClngHed with
this traffic and interference With
local movements of frsiEht iA IN
evitabls The solution wQHld no
slmpllhed by utilizing tho waterways,
Aside from this. tho accruins gain
from every crop would be q cOnHid-
Grafton for the reason that the price
OF grain in this country IS made ny
The Chicago market and * Is deter
mined by the London quotations.
The price IN the British mst=apnllH
- a stated figure less the coat Of
transportation. The routing Of these
cJnmodities by water would effect
q saving OF approximately eight cents
bTshel, which means that Ameri-
-en grain would net just that much
more.
POINTS IN FEDERAL
RESERVE LAW,
FOR more than 40 years before
Woodrow Wilson WIS elected presi-
dent in 1912. a reform OF our bank
ing and currency system had been
almost universally demanded and
>rad been year after year deferred
or refused by the staHd-pat elemen:
of the republican party In obedience