The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-31

law. The director general did not
bother about the antitrust law when
| the government took the roads for
operation. but proceeded to bring
about unified action, as the railroads
! themselves had tried to do.
Better Results From Old System.
After the war. Storey said, the
same reasons that Justified certain
actions during the war no longer OBJ
tanned, and the country began to grow
restless under the conditions as they
found them. They missed the ordi-
nary courtesy to which they mad be-
come accustomed; they became
alarmed at the growing cost to the
government of the railroad machine;
they became convinced that the old
system gave them better results than
the new AS a consequence, congress
prepared after several monthsS study
the Transportation Act, 1920. 1t re-
ceived most careful consideration and,
when passed. was the first compre-
hensive. constructive piece of legisla-
ton enacted by congress to cover the
whole railroad situation
AS a result of the Transportation
Act. 1920. the roads came back to
their owners on March 1, 1890 But
things have not worked out as was
hoped when the act was passed. The
roads came back with equipment in
bad repair, with cars scattered over
the entire country regardless of own
ership, with track deteriorated, with
the morale of the employees destroyed,
with wages higher than they had ever
solutely prevented efficiency. and
finally with n cost for operation far
in excess OF the receipts In addition,
the country was prosperous and a
great volume of business was NOV,
ing Then. at once, came the switch
mems strike which checked all bust
ness. that put everything behind its
usual course. and that prevented any
normal. This was followed by a surge
of business such as this country had
never seen even during war times
The roads took up the problem and
they met 1t IN much the same way
the government had done, viz, re-
gardless of cost-in other words,
service came first and the cost sec
ond- There was no time to repair
the depleted equipment turned back
to us by the government: there were
shape, and everything was subordi-
mated to getting the freight moved |
We succeeded, and when the year
1920 closed we found that we had
handled more ton miles than in any
previous year. even under the unified
control OF the government and in spite |
of the switchmen's strike.
Rates liked by I. c. c.
During this year of private con-
troll the rates were increased by % |
10 ~ per cent bE the AAAteAS STATE SoAAA
merce commission to meet the in /
creased expenses of the roads, which
included a big advance in pay given |
all classes of labor by the labor board. !
In that year all you asked was cars
rates cut no figure-and the traf-
fic continued in spite of the high |
freight rates.
beginning with January, 1921. a |
sudden slump came and it continued |
turnout the year. The problem of the |
railroads changed sharply from the |
one of furnishing cars enough to one /
of trying to bring their expenses down |
to meet the income. The new rates
fixed by the Interstate commerce COM /
mission. effective August 26. 1920, /
were calculated TO produce a revenue
such as would give Il 8 per cent re-