Milford chronicle., 1920-11-26
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
RAILROAD SERVICE IMPROVES
UNDER PRIVATE OWNERSHIP

Pullman car of long train bounC
for New York. Uncle Ted had beer
promising the children this trip for {
long time and now that they were
actually on the way he thought the
best way to keep them amused until
the first call for dinner in the din
ing car, was to tell them another
story.
How would you like to hear a
story about the railroads while we
are speeding along our way?" asked
Uncle Ted.
"Fine." said Jack you told us
something about the railroads a long
time ago when you said some man
had a plan to get the government to
buy the railroads and give them to
the railroad employees to run"
Eyes, Jack, that was the Plumb
plan. Then there are others who still
think the Government ought to run
the railroads but we sure got enough
of that when the government ran
them during the war. When Senator
Cummins completed the bill which
turned the roads back to their proper
owners it was a bill that was as fair
anu VIGIL c11 aAlSC0 Go elAAt NAAAAo SOhAa
be. This must be true because the
service on the railroads has improv-
ed greatly in the past few months and
the increased earnings under private
ownership and control prove what l
say. These facts are being carefully
studied by leaders in both the Sen
ate and the House of Representatives
They are constantly being told about
the Plumb plan and government own
ership of the roads and certainly the
fact that service and earnings have
improved under private ownership
and control will have lot to do with
any future plans regarding legislation
for the railroads.
Now here are a few facts to think
about on this subject. When the law
went into effect it turned the roads
back to their owners the first of last
March. From March until September
1, eight months, they were operated
by the owners but under guarantee
from the government that protected
them against any loss of money. That
arrangement stopped September list
ad for the past two months, October
and November the roads have really
and truly again been running as they /
did before the war, without any inter- I
ference or help from the govern
ment."
Doesn't it cost more to ride on
the trains now?" asked Ruth.
''Yes, it does Ruth, but l have an
idea it wouldn't have cost so much
more if the government had been able
to run the roads right. The rails and
cars were allowed to run down so
that the roads must spend an awful
lot of money to get everything in good
shape again. Five days before Sep
tember l, the rates were raised, but
even at that the amount made in Sep
tember fell short of the guarantee
set by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission which handles the railroad af-
fairs, so far as the governmet goes,
and helps to regulate rates. The rea-
sons for the roads not making all they
should in September were because
most of the freight that was moving
during the first two weeks of that
month was handled for the old rates
because it had left in the cars before I
the new rates went into effect and al
so because IL of the state railroad or
public utilities commissions had not l
allowed the new rates to go into ef-
feet.
but lets get to another point. That :
Of better service. You know the roads
faced a mighty hard thing when the 4.
turned them back. Mr.. :
McAdoo, when he was director gener-
Al of railroads, raised the pay of the
railroad men without hesitating and
after he left these in charge kept :
the men more and more A
Jay. Now when the roads went back
o the owners they had to face the Z,
rouble of adjusting that situation r
which looked for time as if it would
md in one big strike. There were
ew strikes here and there but no bis, .
general strike. However, they were :
,onugh to tie up the freight cars so =
hat it was very hard to move food, :,
uel and the many other things which .
AVE to be sent from here and there
" rail. They Strengthened it out ii -
ally though and beginning in May i
he service began to improve. The 1st y
f July a committee was formed to n
et better service and efficiency and :,
)aniel Willard, president of the Bal il
more and Ohio railroad was made N
hartman 81
what did they do?" asked Jack.
"WelI. Jack, here are the actual re- bl
ults. When the railroad admlnlstra- 1
;;;s was running the T0ads III 1919 u
he average freight car made 23.l pl
lilies per day. In May of this year the Jt
reight cars average 24.2 miles per va
av and the owners say they are not ia
ding to stop until this average 81
caches 80 miles per day. In June
le average was 25, in July 20I ana Sc
/ August 274. % %
"I'm not going to give you whole 81
It of figures but l want to say TINS; L'
,at from May to October the trelght wv
lsiness increased every month. Inc eu
assenger business has been mucn
rger each month for the past SIX
onths than for the same time lasI
ear, and weekly reports snow lnls
,ndition is continuing right along:
he country faced bad shortage Oh III
rs. too. but that has been straight
led out so that plenty of cars are at
ady ow for all uses. l don tnliiN
e Plumb plan will get very 1ar now vi.
ddies. because the. owners Oh tne an
ilroads are going to see that tne VIC
rvice is the best and these men
,own how to run the roads and the ~
doesn't and should not NJ,
ndle them. So far as the Pump ~ =,
an goes that would mean the peo- ="
: having for them--your father ana
mr. friends fathers and all OF us Ms
40 pay taxes" sa, S