Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-03-13
No. WHY Taken Over bv the Government

- ~ NJ Sy tA4C NV
the properties, but as affecting di-
rectly the international situation"
Upon the declaration of war, April
s, 1917, the Council of National De-
tense organized the Railroad Board,
composed of Fairfax Harrison, julius
| kruttschnitt, Hale Holden, Samuel
| Rea and Howard Elliott, and it I'M
| dertook to secure cooperation be.
tween the various railroad systems.
Despite the activities of this commit
tee, Mr.. McAdoo says, the condition
Of the railroads grew steadily worse
until there had been an almost COM
plete paralysis of transportation. On
December %, 1917, the Railroad
War Board confessed its inability to
solve the problems of transporta-
ton.
During this period not less than
five committees of railroad eXecu-
tives had failed to restore the proper
efficiency to the transportation sys-
tenn.
Followed Recommendation of |. c. c.
1t was upon recommendation Of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and the confession of failure by rail
road executives that the president,
on December 26, i917, directed the
- nj. q
measure.
"Of the ACCESSIBILITY and necessity
of this action there has never been
question:" declares Mr.. McAdoo.
Julius Kruttschnitt, recently
spokesman for the railroad execu-
tives before various tribunals, ad-
mitted before the senate committee
that what has been done has been
done for the best. = | have
gathered from general intercourse
with railroad executives that they
nave all accepted the situation as the
oest thing to be done"
This breakdown of the railroads
did not occur over night" said Mr..
McAdoo. ut resulted not alone from
lack Of unification, but from the i'm
paired physical condition of the roads
extending over a period of years, and
from long-deferred maintenance and
improvements"
When the roads were taken over
by the government, the records of
the l. c. c. disclose, there'were l45,-
900 ears Of freight in excess of nor
NAL in the territory east of Chicago
and st. Louis and north of the Ohio
and Potomac rivers.
The facts, as they have been ad-
duced by the senate committee are:
On January !, 1917, the transpor-
tation system had broken down and
was inadequate to the nations needs.
The American governments war pro-
gram was hampered, the Allied ar
mics were short of food and materi-
ais and the civil populations of our
Allies in Europe were facing starva-
ton.
The railroad executives, after
eight months of effort, were unable
to correct this situation and confess
ed their inability to do so.
The government acted only when
it became clearly established that re-
fusal to do so would invite irremedi-
able disaster.
On January II, 1919, after year
of federal control, A. H. Smith, c. II.
Markham, X. II: Ashton, Hale hol-
den, &. f. Rush, N. D. Maher and
B. L. Winchell, among the ablest rail
road men in the United States, of
flcially reported to the Railroad Ad-
ministation:
The measures taken during the
year 1918 called for no apologies.
The efficient operation Of the rail
roads in support of the government
during the war justifies every act of
the administration during that pc
Rod"
This testimony is ample refutation
of charges that the railroads were
taken over for political reasons and
that they were operated inefficiently.