The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-03-31
MORE SALVATION NEEDED
By CHARLES M. KELLEY.

edoh VI saving liic TdilfOduS.
1t is a periodical function of gov
ernment at intervals of about two
years to intervene and rescue the
carriers from the ill effects of mis-
management and graft. Just now,
however, 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
tissue and sending it off completely
restored to health and strength is
proven to be a 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 pro-
missed by its authors and supporters,
would take the roads from politics
and make an end of all talk of gov
ernment ownership. 1t was to yield
satisfactory and certain returns to
investors, was to meet the nations
transportation needs and revitalize
and reinvigorate industry in general.
1t has done none of these things.
Investors returns have reached the
vanishing points, high transportation
rates having had just the opposite
result predicted The roads are still
in poltics-more so than ever-and
government ownership looms up large
and menacing-to railroad managers
-as the only~way out of the diff
Guilty.
There is more talk of government
ownership in Washington today than
ever before. Politicians who a few
months ago were telling their con-
stituents that they were unalterably
opposed to every suggestion of gov
ernment interference with and regu-
lation of business, that they would
calmly face political death-and
crossed their hearts on it-before
they would desert the special privi-
lege group they have long and faith
fully served, are now admitting, con-
fidentially and not for publication, of
course, that perhaps, after all, it may
be necessary to chose the lesser of
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 a hand
and contributed from their wisdom
suggestions that were Incorporated
in the bill. Everybody was consulted
but the plain people, who are not ex-
pected to know anything of such
matters, and who have developed a
rather distressing disregard fer the
sacredness of vested rights.
When some bold plain citizen
ventured suggestion, he was told
he was talking through his hat and
should leave all such weighty ques-
tions to his betters. Senator Cum
minis went up and down Iowa assur-
ling his neighbors that their opposi-
tion. to the transportation act was
based upon misleading propaganda,
and appealing for suspension of
Judgment until his law had been
given fair test. President Harding
was even more emphatic in his de-
fense of the bill. He in so many
words told Ohio protestants that
they didn't know what they wanted
and would not know what to do with
it If it were granted them.
And now these prophets and eco
nomic tinkerers are face to face with
the utter collapse of the transporta-
tion system. Not single prediction
has been realized. The transporta-
tion bill isn't performing any mira
cles, and only 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 they
broke Gown in 1917? The govern
ment. of course. Who saved them
again in 1920, when they were re
turned to their private managers?
Again the government, to the tune
of nearly billion dollars to make
up deficits. Who asked the govern
ment to intervene? The railway
managers, to be sure. When they
were satisfied that they, couldn't get
the roads out of the muck of mis-
management and graft, after we had
entered the war, they came on to
Washington and earnestly recon-
mended that the government should