Evening star., 1921-03-31
Editorial Digest
A Hair Of the Federal Dog.

a dalr OF the Federal log.
=, s Davies Warfelds plan ''ts fur
ther economy" by pooling railroad in
serests. under the direction OF
ment supervision, has stirred up Wig
erous opposition and for the most
part only mild support from the news
paper critics Many writer's are dis
posed to handle the matter with
gloves - a proposition whose value
cannot be assessed in advance Of ap-
pIlcation and one generally accepted
as tending toward NATURALIZATION"
et the roads. BY reason Of the latter
dacteE 1t Is applauded or repudiated:
those who comment.
The Wall Street Journal Unde-
pendenO sees little merit in the plan
and expresses itself without hesita-
testation OF government ownerzhip or
operation, Offering rs refuge there-
from 4 plan which. II 1t resulted in
anything more than a group of ingen-
ious!y articulated debating societies,
would mean a perilous degree of rail-
road Capitalization and Bureaucratic
management It is as though one
should say: In order to save our
selves from burning it Is necessary to
set as close to the fire as possible"
directly to that which it purports to
avoid" which makes the Richmond
Ilmes.Dispatch (democratic) feel that
IT'S oeIects are fatal for, it declares.
from Washington and the forty-eight
lesser capitals ito enable them to cure
their own ills" To the st. Joseph
News-Press independently the argu-
ments In favor. of the plan Sound
which were advanced when the gov
ernment took over the roads during
the war;" and the scheme has the ap-
pearance "of jumping from the frying
pan into the fire."
The Newark News Independently
nnds "a curious anomaly" in an at
tempt on the part of the railroad se-
curity owners. for whom Mr.. War
held Is the spokesman, to urge "a
form of small scale government own
ersh1p to prevent a relapse into fed
eral control" 1t questions the practi-
cability of the scheme since it en-
bodies the National Railway Service
Corporation plan, organized for the
purpose of creating economy in pur-
chase of supplies, which it declares,
broke down. The Springfield Union
(republican) says: "All that can now
be- said is that experience during the
war shows pretty conclusively that
business is not likely to be more
economically run when the govern
ment Is put into it any more than
necessary" 1t Is only those, indeed.
in the opinion of the Philadelphia
Bulletin Independent republican,,
who support naturalization or feel
that it is inevitable" who will be !
greatly enthused over the Warfield !
plan. for experience seems to have |
demonstrated" that railroad opera |
tion in the far corners Of the United !
States cannot be standardized" and !
that success can only be attained
when individual members of the sys- |
tenn" can Exercise their normal pow |
ers of self-control and developme ent.'
One point of weakness in Mr.. War |
upon by the Baltimore News Gnde- |
pendent), which believes that insofar !
as It will really effect economies |
it should be adopted" but "it is large |
ly q technical matter of adminlstra-
tion, to be left to railroad experts at
any rate, and 1t is doubtful whether
any economies which do not anect |
labor costs would be sufficient to solve /!
the problem.
Taking for granted that 1.-The bulk |
of the American people are not enam- |
cred of the idea Of government own |
ership of railroads" and declaring |
that the Warfield plan would Ger
tainly put the government deeper
into the railroad business than ever
before" the Baltimore Sun Gndepend- |
ent democratic) concludes that sen
sible men will neither be frightened |
by the proposal nor in too great a |
hurry to indorse it."
The Spokane Review
Independent republican, is not will |
ing to commit itself irrevocably !
either; although it admits that "the !
plan il broad and constructive in pur- |
pose," 1t adds that it must be sub |
mitted ito the close scrutiny of ex-
perts- before it can be decided
whether it would be practicable or !
whether it could be advantageously |;
used as the working basis Of reforms |
that must be effected" That it is |
constructive" the Pittsburgh Sun |
(democratic) agrees. and "commends /
itself to thoughtful consideration" in |
the light Of the fact that "the day Of !
competition between rail lines Is gone |!
forever" and Cooperation is COM
PEELED by the inescapable demands Of !
the situation"
The Brooklyn Eagle independent |.
democratic) considers "the scheme is |
an ambitious one" but feels it well !
worth respectful consideration"
since st represents an honest effort |
to make possible a cutting of freight !
and passenger rates, which are now !
higher than the traffic will bear; and |
honest effort of the securities owners !
to safeguard their own interests by |
making the properties they are in !
terested in more profitable"