The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-03-14

Commerce Corporation, was down
here recently asking the Shipping
Board to take it's boats out of BUSH
ness. -
The plant is that the Government
boats are destroying the privately
| owned lines, and that together they
are helping 70 destroy the railroads.
A railroad president. down here to
look over the situation, put 1t this
way:
Seventeen lines of ships are now
going through the canal. They draw
freight for the Pacific Coast from
farther West than Pittsburgh. Cop
per went from Butte. Mont. in Deem
Der via Seattle to Perth Amboy, n. j.,
at rate which saved the Rookie
fellers $40 per ton.
THE Southern, Pacific within few
weeks has been compelled to make
rate to compete with this water
traffic.
Fruit comes from Southern Cali
fornia to Philadelphia in twenty-one
days in refrigerator ships, with no
need of preceding. as is required in
railway shipment.
dollars OF national money into ships
and Ave hundred million into the
canal. At hrst it subsidized the rail-
roads with grants, and is now sub
sidizing them with guarantees. Thus
one, Government appropriation. on
water, kills another Government APP
preparation. on railroads.
Within a few weeks representatives
Of the Union Pacific and OF the North
ern Pacific have been down here ask
ing the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to suggest way out
HOOVER ON U. 3. OWNERSHIP.
When people get ratified over a sit.
uation they often take satisfaction in
denying what nobody has said. For
example, wrote an article last week
one point in which was that IL Mr..
Hoover is made the successor to
Judge Payne, as lirector general of
railroads. as seems likely, he will be-
fore long have to face an extremely
serious situation which many people
believe leads toward Government
control
Thereupon, a. lot OF newspa pers en-
tertained themselves by replying that
Mr.. Hoover does not believe in Gov
does not. andsswill do all he can to
save private ownership. That does
not mean that he can do il. -
If you think, he does not realize the
seriousness OF the situation. read
these words, spoken last summer, be-
fore the roads were in as bad a stu
alton as they are now:
The. development OF our trans
portation.' fuel, power and water,
under private initiative, has been one
OF the, stimuli that have created the
greatness of our people. 1t has been
easy to encompass when the prob
lens were more local and filled with
speculative profits.
There. however. arises time
when, this hsphazsrd development
must be co-ordinated in order to Sc
cure it's hest results to the nation
as whole. This system has given
us SO per cent result. IL we are
to, have hundred per cent we must
have a national conception and ma
tionsl guidance"
Also Mr.. Hoover said this:
AT the present moment our ina
bility to move the commodities
which we create is stifing produc-
tion. 1t is increasing the cost OF
distribution, and has placed a tax
on the American people in decreased
production and increased cost Of
distribution greater than. all the
taxes imposed by the war"
The very central point OF my article,
which stirred up such a riot. was that
the plan described was not a plan to
force anybody, but merely to be ready
with a workable scheme to save the
property of the investors, IL the roads
make up their minds that they cannot
he or nj NJ he IT,
that they cannot pay their own way.
and that they do not know how to get
on peaceably with labor. 49,
Perhaps 1t may interest you to know
that the President of the United
States, when he was Senator, al
though he heartily uIsbelieved in pub
lie ownership. nevertheless prophesied
that before long 1t would come to
pass.
Whatever the sauesling may be, a
way out must be ,Jund, and 1t will
not be a way that leaves the railroads
a tool OF the financial interests and
subsidize them.
Some of the railroad managers
think they have got the unions down
now and can end them, because there
are so many men out Of employment.
A few wiser managers want to pro-
coed toward a real cooperation, in
stead OF temporary victory sure to
breed radicalism and sabotage, but
they have small chance OF persuading
the bourbon majority.
1t Is perfectly obvious that there
can be no peaceable and promising
solution unless the roads openly pro-
claim their acceptance OF the union
principle. II they would proclaim IL,
without stbterfugc, the unions might
be brought to reasonable concessions
about hours and wages.
But IL the open shop closed, to
unions Is to prevail, there can be
nothing but a long night ahead, has
tening the end OF private control Of
transportation.
Wants 0-HoiIr nav in N