Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-04-08
Voice Of the People on Topics Of the Day
Some "Plain Speaking" OH How
Railroads Arc Being
Ouerntc.i

10 tho EDITOR OF The Times ID ism oh.
sir.-Mr. Samual b. Woods, In u let
~, says. the press OF the country
has been sidestepping" the railroad
question and he advocates plain
speaking. agree with him in these
letter is neither plain nor eluc.dating.
The press gavo miles OF space to many
like assertions that "goverument
ownership Is failure" with no pre-
sentation OF facts to back up the
statement. and In recent weeks Il has
becn the sninc line of attack on tho
wages of railroad workers, dealing in
to'al3 and referring to the war time
wages OF railroad employees when as
matter of fact their Inadequate In
crease In wages did not come until
long after workers in other era its had
!eceNso increases far In advance of
that received by railroad men.
what the press has "sidcste1p,d" Is
the eNtravasancc and graft - rsii:oad
interests in buying fuel euuipn,ent
suppies. etc, f:om themselves or
thcir own concerns: the anauci.,l ma
nlpulations of the railroads and the
raids they have made on tn. public
treasury.
In the interest OF plain spealiin,."
let me cnumera:c IL few facts. The
transportation system broke down
utterly IN the face OF Il war c,:lcit-
ency. The government took over the
railroads (not for Experimentation"
but to help win the war; and the
wreck that was taken over was or
s1nized into unified system that
carried the terrific war tirfIic sue
ceSsfuily. The railroads were taken
over, not under government owner
snip but under a hnpha Zard lease In
wAis.i the roads were guaranteed AMI
palu nontlly rental that cuualSd the
average returns for the period OF
three of the most prontab!e years of
the railroads history
Legislation returning the railroads
TO their private owners was rushed
through In tho closing hours of Con-
gress when many OF the IoEislutors {, e.,
now know what they were voting for.
me only necessity for haste WAS 20
settle the railroad question and
Keep it OUT OF tho presidential cam
paiSn AZ tho paramount Issue. which
IL mas now become. The Cummins-
Esch law guaranteed the railroads
Tor period of six months from Marcn
TO september /. 1920. the same re-
turns they received under lease UNI
der Federal control. hut leaving pri-
vatc Initiative" free to run up what
ever cAtravaSunt expenditures II saw
III. as soon AS the private ners got
control OF the railroads they hastcnrd
to tear down the unified system built
up under Federal controi--to ''un-
! scramble the rouus'--at public OK
| nensc. Thus came the car shortage
| that brought on the coal shortage
wat COST the people untold millions
or dollars In tribute to the greed OF
the monipulatorS and made IL impos-
siblr FOR tho farmers tn move thci,
| grain. They told the peopl. then tfa,
the roads had no equipment. that tn,
| government had worn out their car!
and engines and that IN. roads mus,
| havc billion dollars "a year for nyc
Yeas TO spend for equipment and i'm
! i<vcments. AS u matter of fact dur.
'nS tho period OF Federal control the
I NssAf . ant N a
| provcmcntS and bcttcr!ne $3.50.
| 100000 for 100000 freigh, cars ara
| 2.o0o locomotives, and lent the read,
| $4,000, 0o0--a sum total OF si,232-
| 100000. which the roads still owe IN,
| government. The railroads in display
| advertising now tell us there are NOR,
! than 100000 ears and 1900 loconp: i've.
| In storage. They have got their r;.ise