The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1922-02-24
McAdoo Replies to
Critics of Railroads

eve have been furnished with o
lengthy report of VIM. G. McAdoo's
evidence before a Senate committed
defending government operation OF
/ railroads during the war. We can pub
/ lish only few extracts. as follows)
Breaking the silence which he has
maintained since he retired, from the
post OF director general of the railroad
administration. which gave him the d.
rection of the Nations transportation
system, William Gibbs McAdoo, before
the Senate committee on interstate
commerce. answered in detail charges
of inefficiency in the management OF
the railroads during Federal control.
During the war, when the Gov
eminent was working heroiaally
to make the railroads meet the
Nations war needs, Mr.. McAdoo
declares, the workers ) eheerfully,
abuadantly. and patriotieally con-
tributed their services, at wages
always below those paid for SINH
lar, services in competitive indus
try. ~ Z. s. SP@S sFwf
Mr.. McAdoo gave attention to the
charge that upon assuming control of
the railroads. he immediately made
drastic changes in management and
disregarded the experience and ability
of the able railroad men of the coun-
try Nothing could be further from
the truth. he said. ....s.. II
Immediately upon taking office he
appointed A. II. Smith, president of
the New York Central, as his assistant,
and until an Organization could be at
L. - 4. Nt-an t.TNa
upon whom the director most relied.
"And for nearly FIVE months"
the witness added, ~ retained ev-
cry railroad corporation as agents
Of the director general to operate
the railroads. Under this plan
Samuel Rea ran the Pennsylvania
railroad as president; Daniel vii.
lard, the Baltimore and Ohio as
president; Julius kruttsehnitt. the
Southern Pacific as chairman Of
its board. Similarly could enum
crate every railroad in the eoun-
try as being run for this period OF
four months and twenty one days
by its president and board OF d.
reetors."
II the railroads were inefficiently
operated, these men alone are to be
held responsible the witness said.
That many railroad presidents could
not or would not cooperate to save the
nation from disaster in its war venture
was made evident from letters read
into the record by Mr.. McAdoo,
The conditions ON the Pennsylvania,
the Baltimore and Ohio, the Reading
and the Central Railroad OF New Jer-
sey were SO unsatisfactory because of
the congestion on these lines and their |
failure to produce the requisite amount
Of transportation, in effect paralyZing |
all over the east, that
Mr.. McAdoo became convinced, he said, |
that the arrangements were not eff
cient.
On January II. 1918. he addressed
letters to the presidents of these roads |
in which he stated to them frankly |
that as the nation was in the midst |
Of great war, the public interest and |
the life of the nation demanded that
these railroads be operated efficiently.
Rea, Willard and others We're warn
ed that their excuses were worth |
nothing and that only results. would
tell.
nent a change in the management OF
.hese PROPERTIES would become inevi-
able.
Despite these warnings, the rep
rimanded and reereant officials
responded with long list Of ex-
cuses for their delinquency.
st sufficiently appears from the
with the railrpad ex-
,cutives they were upon full notice
hat their management was on trial."
Mr.. McAdoo continued, and that ex-
uses would not be accepted"
yet, in their replies, Rea, Willard,
Dice and Besler made the same COM
,laints of lack Of locomotives, short
lge of labor, reduced efficiency due to
ack Of skilled labor and unprecedent-
IDLY severe weather" i