Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-02-17
Public Ownership
McADOO SAYS GOVERNMENT
CONTROL is o. X.
Railroad Organizations and Farmers
May Pool Issues-Miners
Want In Too.
(By Federated Press)

Washington-Thr points made by
W. G. McAdoo, former director gen.
eral of railroads, before the senate
committee on interstate commerce, in
his defense of the record of efficiency
and economy made by the Railroad
Administration, have bearing upon
the policy of the rail labor organiza-
tions and liberal farm organizations
in demanding public ownership and
democratic operation of the railway
system of the country.
McAdoo showed that the govern
ment took hold of broken down
transportation system in the midst of
the confusion of the war period, and
made it an effective operating system
at moderate cost.
He showed that vast savings were
effected through the dropping of pre-
tended competition, and running the
whole system on basis of pooled IA
cilities. He said that still greater eff
ficiency and economy would result
from permanent unified operation.
Finally, he showed that mainte-
nance costs are still steadily mount
inp because the machinery of the rail
way system is largely obsolete, and
must be replaced with modern equip
ment. In this he agrees with Henry
Ford.
1t was clear that the railroad prop
critics had, as McAdoo declared, been
"saved by government Intervention"
and that they have a steadily de-
creasing value, in so far as their op-
Grating machinery is concerned, due
to the fact that they are loaded down
with obsolete devices which should be
scrapped. 1t was clear that only the
credit of the nation was big enough to
replace this obsolete equipment. 1t
was clear that only government own
ership would bring the unified oper-
alton which in turn would permit Of
really economical and efficient opera
tion of the whole system.
The railroad labor executives went
away from the hearing with more
confidence in the early fruition of their
plan-the Plumb plan-than they
have entertained since the passage of
the Esch- Cummins act.
While they have been reluctant to
express opinions upon the proposal
made formally by President Lewis of
the United Mine Workers of America
that they join hands with the Mine
Workers in defensive alliance
against wage reductions and unfavor-
able changes in their conditions, the
railroad labor spokesmen here are en-
couraged by the McAdoo testimony to
>believe that there may be basis for
such an alliance with the miners in
their common desire to secure public
ownership and democratic operation
OF the rail and coal Industries.
The United Mine Workers are ready
to negotiate the alliance. They see
that with the railroad labor forces
they can make real fight for their
wage scale. Railroad labor can refuse
to haul unfair coal; coal miners can
refuse to dig coal for unfair railroads.
Together they can precipitate the rail
and coal problem into the congress
sional campaign, as we'll as into i'm
mediate consideration by the admins
tration and the public.
The administration is alarmed at
the possibility Of this labor alliance.
It's obvious move, as in the case of the
farm bloc in the senate, will be to
offer federal job to one of the pivotal
men in the leadership of rail or coal
labor, in order to shake the faith of
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