, 1921-12-16
TOO MUCH

T. I'LL h. eneraIly conceded that c. h. Markham
of the Illinois Central and W: W.: Atterpury Q I n
pennsvlvania are two OF the leading railway execu-
tfves Of the country. Each have but recently fert-
grated the assertion that government supervision u
railways is a serious handicap to ehcieney wm sS
public expects from railroads. Mr.. Atteroury ~
yances the opinion that there must either be less gov
eminent restriction or the government must take over
different light by Mr.. Markham, who says:
"The railroads perform a public service and 1t Is
proper that their service should be subject TO super
vision of the public's representatives. But when these
Representatives become so numerous, so powerful and
so conflicting that they represent a burden upon the
public, when their duties are so construed as to usurp
the functions of management, then 1t Is that the Puo-
ic itself must call a halt"
There will be general agreement with the Atterbury
idea that IL government supervision is to go on and
he carried TO such an extent that management is
practically turned over to government offlcials-men
who have little practical knowledge Of railroading-
then the ultimate result must be government owner
ship. That the public certainly does not want The
public will not worry much over difficulties the rail-
read managers have with the government, unless, as
Mr.. Markham intimates, those troubles represent a
burden on the public"
There's the whole secret Of public interest IN rail-
way matters. II it appears that government super,
vision, state and national, hampers efficient railroad
operation and increases costs, which the public must
pay, then the public will soon manifest a lively in
terest. 1t makes a lot of difference whose OK is gored.
Mr.. Otto Kahn recently remarked: "You can trust
the public to decide a question correctly If you give
the public all the facts" Years ago the people were
given certain facts which convinced them they wanted
government supervision of railroads, and the inter
state commerce commission law was the result. We
have been getting more and more supervision from
year to year, until there are some people who would
go SO far as to abrogate all governmental supervision
and return to private management without limitation
Those who would go to this extreme are, however, rela-
lively few. The great majority will agree with Mr.
Markham that since railroad transportation is a pub
lie service, there should be public supervision, but il
too much supervision becomes q burden, then il
should be modified to such an extent as to remove the
evil.
Figurativeiy speaking, most Americans are from
HFs-.---, Ill., - @-l- rrsIf-~ ~ y c10v-n mi
they like to be shown. The American public has
way Of getting together frequently for conference
in meetings of chambers of commerce., farmers
unions, oranges, etc. An address delivered before
one Of these bodies is always reported literally in tbs
local press. Each one of these organizations is deep
ly interested in the question, What's the matter witt
the railroads. and It is a safe guess that they will b,
glad to receive, orally or in writing, any exposition o.
the railroad supervision problem in the clear styl,
which Mr.. Markham and Mr.. Atterbury command anC
in the frank and honest spirit for which both arr
noted