The Connecticut labor news., 1922-02-10
M'ADOO EXPOSES
 COLLABORATING
 RAILS MANAGERS
Former Director General Shows Up Moral Dishonesty" of
 Officials.

Washington, Feb lO-Railroad man. agers who were directing their properties under government control were most irl-
 sistent, duing the war, that railroad wages be raised to hold employees. These
 managers now blame the government for
 wages that were never high, as compared
 with other callings, said former Director
 General of Railroads McOdoo III testi-
 flying on the railroad situation before the
 senate conrnitte on interstate commerce.
 The witness unfolded sordid tale of
 double-dealing by the railroad managers.
 It was shown that President Smith of the
 New York Central, President Rae of the
 Pennsylvania, and other we'll known ex-
 ecutives insisted that the railroad admin
 istration increase wages. The managers
 acknowledged that wages paid by them
 were low, and they agreed with the
 Franklin K. Lane report which stated
 that when the government took control
 of the roads 51 per cent of all railroad
 employees were paid but $75 month or less. These rail managers now charge the railroad administration with being re- sponsible for high" wages and with wrecking their properties.
 It IS significant that the double dealing managers have not replied to the testi- 1nony of the former director, and news papers that have aided the manaers in their present propaganda are likewise silent.
 Answering the charge that the rail roads were mismanaged under govern ment control, MT. McAdoo showed that the executive personnel of the railroads was retained by the government If there was inefficiency and extravaganza in 1918, he said, the managers were guilty and if they were not guilty then, they are now guilty of attempting to besmirch their own record.
 "The railroads collapsed because of the war and the government was compelled
 to act" said MT. McAdoo.
 What pretense can these managers
 make, that they could have produced better results than the government when l they signally failed to function efficiently 1 not only during the first five months of 1918, but also in 1916 and 1917, as shown | by the scathing criticism of the railroad corporations by the interstate commerce 1 commission in its decision of January IS, 1o17."
 The former director said that on Feb 1 ruary 8, 1918, when ''the situation was extremely black for the allies" President Wilson handed him a collective message from the prime minister of Great Britain France and Italy, which stated that the bread cereals sent from North America ! were, in December, 1917, 5OO,000 tons be- low the amount agreed to by a confer ence held in Paris.
 "The railroads said MT. McAdoo l "were exclusively in the hands of their l private owners throughout December 1917.
 Uuder government control empty ] freight cars from the east were rushed | west and were rushed back to the At ! lantic seaboard loaded with food supplies The witness stated that this operation saved the war for the allies, as at that ! time the rations of the Italian army had l been reduced twice, the rations of the French army once, while starvation was | facing the civil nonulation of the allies.