Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-15
MORE POWER FOR
RAIL HEADS URGED
Schwab Asserts Too Manv
Rules Hindcring Efficient
Service.
IA M PENS ENTHUSIASM
Steel Masnatc Ayers Progress
Is Never Made by Hamstring-
ing Ability and Initiative.
fRy Associated pr.ys1


NEW YORK. Jan. IA call r,o,
the American people to repeal nj, ,ho
laws that rcpress initiative nm ,ho
part Of the men In charge Of tho
railroads. restrict enterprise and
aanpen their enthusiasm. WAS made
'oh'sht by Charles NJ. Schwab. chair
man of the board OF the Bethlehem
steel Corporation. in addressing the
Ohio Society, OF New York,
He asked that this be done as a
measure TO contribute to the reviya,
OF prosperity in tho United States
saying that at every turn the rail.
'"au managers were hemmcd in by
rules. regulations. ana restrictions.
which deprive them of power to exer.
else their discretion. prevent tho ex-
crcisc OF the sound business iudy-
meNt which had grown out of their
io"s experience. and interfere with
'hef doing acts which, If done. would
contribute immeasurably TO the res
toration OF prosperity"
Roads Must he Prosperous,
You never make progress ny ham
stringing ability and Initiative and
iohs II II wasn't prosperous itself"
Spins he had been informed s5-
"Ve.ooO,oOo would he required 10 mn,
the transportation companies obroos,
or the nations commercial reoujrs
mcnts. Mr.. Schwab termed an "impos-
sih!c situation" the fact that mor.
miles Of track had been abandoned g.,
the past two years than were built in
'hai time. and probably more cars re-
tired than installed.
We cannot have prosperity. ON,
country's commerce cannot On f,-
ward confidently unless our railroads
ar" once again made prosperous. are
put IN Il position TO carry the trans
portaiion OF the country, and are ubl,
10 attract the capital needed for Them
To perform their service AS common
carriers" hc continued.
because Of restrictive laws. AIR.
SShwab said, railroad rates no longer
were responsive TO the changing COM
mercial needs. the managers had
been shoTn Of the power to exercise
enterprise. and private capital was
unwilling To embark I'm railroad dc =
'e'opmehi except under rigid guar
antccS.
Shonld Stop Knocking.
We should stop knocking our rail
roads. their presidents and railroad
men in general" he added.
Admitting there had been evils in
The past. the steel n,aEnatc declared
that infinitely more harmful than the
uncarthed financial scandals Of wears
comedy. had been the damage dine ia
laws restricting enterprise.
Let us make our railroad presi-
dents feel that We rega-d them as
honored public servants" he said.
and let us make every man engaged
in the railroad business feel that the
public is behind him and wants him
aud his company to be successful
Protect the public interest in every
way that is necessary: maintain such
regulation Of railroads rs actual OK.
pericnce shows to lie justified. bu.
abandon all the regulation which ia
based merely upon political motive
and popular prejudice.
If we make our railroad rcguIa :
lions non-political. restore To our
railroad managers the power to cX-
crcisc ability and initiative, and make
them feel that the public is behind
them with all its force and energy
the miracles that viii! be wrought In
the promotion OF prosperity will as
tonisii tho world"
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