The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-03-26
'SAVING THE RAILROADS.

dress themselves to the perennial task
Of ''saving the railroads. -
1t is a periodical function of gov
ernmcnt at intervals of about two
years to intervene and rescue the car
riers from the i'll effects of misman-
agement and graft. Just now, how
ever, the rescue squad is running ahead
of schedule.
The widely heralded Cummins.Esch
bill, which was to be in the way Of a.
major operation, removing from the
transportation system all infected It's.
sue and sending it off completely re.
stored to health and strength is proven
to be quack nostrum. 1t threatens
to kill the patient before the politico-
economic diagnosticians can determine
just what is wrong with the patient
and devise new remedies to meet the
condition.
The transportation bill, it was prom
ised by its authors and supporters,
would take the roads from politics and
make an end Of all talk of government
ownership. 1t was to yield satisfac-
tory and certain returns to investors,
was to meet the nation s transportation
needs and revitalize and reinvigorate
industry in general. It has done none
of these things.
Investors returns have reached the
vanishing points, high transportation
rates having had just the opposite re-
suit predicted. The roads are still in
politics-more so than overland gov
ernment ownership looms up large and
mcnacing-to railroad managers-as
the only way out of the difficulty.
There is more talk Of government
ownership today than ever before. Poll
tlclans who few months ago were
telling their constituents that they were
unalterab]y opposed to every sugges,
tion of government interference with
and regulation Of business, that they
would calmly face political death
and crossed their hearts on it-before
they would desert the special privi-
1ege group they have long and faith.
fully served, are now admitting, con.
fdentially and not for publication, Of
course, that perhaps, after all, it may
~ ,1 "a
two evils and send the railroads back
under the protecting wing Of the people.
The railroad doctors have just about
exhausted their "plans' for saving
the railroads. They put their best
brains in the transportation bill, and
they had the assistance of the ablest
railroad attorneys in the country.
Bankers, spectators and captains Of
industry gave hand and contributed
from their wisdom suggestions that
were incorporated in the bill. Every
body was consulted but the plan rco-
pie, who are not expected to know
anything of such matters, and who
have developed rather distressing
disregard for the sacredness of vested
rights.
When some bold, plain citizen ven
tured suggestion. he was told he was
talking through his hat and should
leave all such weighty questions to his
bettcrs. Senator Cummins went up
and down Iowa assuring his ncighbors
that their opposition to the transporta-
ton act was based upon misleading
propaganda, and appealing for a sus-
pension Of judgment until his law had
been given fair test. President
Harding was even more emphatic in
his defense Of the bill. He in 50 many
words told Ohio protestants that thew
didn't know what they wanted and
would not know what to do with it if
it we're granted them.
And now these prophets and econom.
1c tlnkerers are face to face with the
utter collapse of the transportation
system. Not a single prediction has
been realized. The transportation bill
ism t performing any miracles, and only,
a miracle can help the railroads, unless.
as it may happen, the obvious remedy
is applied in the shape of government.
ownership and democratic operation Of
the roads.
Who saved the railroads when thew
broke down in 1912 The government.
of course. Who saved them again in
1920, when they were returned to their
private managerss Again the govern
ment, to the tune Of nearly billion
dollars to make up deficits. Who asked
the government to intervene? The
railway managers, to be sure. When
they were satisfied that they couldn t
got tne roads out Of the muck of mis-.
management and graft, after we had
sntered the war, they went t. Wash.