New-York tribune., 1922-03-05
Ioree Blannes
Rail Seizure OH
wilson Politics
n..lares Real Motive Was
Not Military Necessity;
Recalls Ord ers Which
Hrlpcd Dernoralizc Labor
..ksAdamson LawRepeal
I'll. on. Republicans TO
abolish Governmental In
,erference in Industry

:. Lorec. president of the Della
& Hudson Company, ono o
.n.akers Yesterday at the Satur
~ ,.s r,iscussions of the National Repub
s.,r =, Club, charged that the real mo
;or taking over the railroads dur
y, ~" tho war was not military ncces
~ ~. !, the government. but politica
:" .,~cr Of the Wilson Administra
'I ro,onel F. A. Molitor, consulting en-
.;,,.r another speaker, called for
s.i.,., law which would make it con
" for the employees of public
.,,r corporations to engage in {
strike.
~. other speakers were Eugene
u.r., r., of the War Finance Board
~,o discussed Railroads and Agricul
WV Wv md Major Henry 'T.%Hunt, for
~,r member OF the Na'lroao LABOR
sssrd. cno,.sr,r
,.,n.us, attention was paid to Mr.
nv address, for the reason that he
A'is. A'S.ors,ood to be the spokesman for
. n.;lroad interests to large extent.
-. ~. nrsising the Republican party
"''. =. h;storic accomplishments, nota-
M 'VI ~ ~;n;nc out slavery, he criticized
w srk lex Of an intelligent Indian pol
!. ~. ND for its treatment OF the rail
", 10 holding that, on account of its
'vas vasr;or Intelligence and the fact that
"Ys;,;ated the attack on the railroads.
y could have done better.
aThe Tho suggestion has been made, and
.. .hn,,ld he of interest TO the mem
~. s" of The National Republican Club,
sas The real motive back of the taking
...r of the roads by the government
w.s not a military necessity of the
's~synment. but political mancuver
q The Wilson Administrations said
", ioree. He quoted from a political
,nesch made by Director General Nc
lsno In El Paso, in which he said
smonr other things:
"You railroad men are all my boys
roy. and so long as you do your duty
| do not intend to let anybody kicb
you around
Inc SEE4kST SblQ lIdL ~ ndS 0ihi\u III l
10 account for McAdoo's management
oc the roads, and he recalled during the
var while the railroads were strainlng
e;sry nerve to serve the government
srder No. 20, limiting expenditures for
rspsirs or betterments, was issued
illus throwing out Of use large mum
bcr Of cars. Referring to Mr.. McAdoo
.ha speaker said:
at an enorrnou, price he had bought
precarious peace with labor by direct
Increases in wages and by further in
direct increases through agreements
and rulings by the adjustment board
and the discipline of the forces had
become 80 demorslized that the cost
Of the work vss greatly enhanced by
the ineficiency of labor.
Peace Period Operation Costly
'lt must never be overlooked that
il vas the operation of the properties
curing the peace period that has been
the cause Of all the embarrassment,
Had the roads been returned to the
owners on January /, 1919, instead of
March /, 1920, the United States would
not have suffered an operating cost of
so5s,O0o 900 in rentals under the di-
rector general or OF sdbs, 900 under
tae guaranty period, nor would there
rave been filed at Washington claims
ief undcr-maintensnce against the di-
i@sstor @ general spproximating St,100.-
vVooOO and sgsinst the Interstate
commerce Commission covering the
glaranty period Of $500 100000. The
azure OF the government to fulfill its
Fcm'sc and the non-receipt of these
-VaoS py the companies is the cause of
.'ucn OF their present embarrassment
III their cash resources and in their
'e'at'ona with the dealers from whom
"'ey nuy their materials and supplies.
NOT only was the morale of the serv-
me greatly affected by the unioniza-
'on OF Its forces, to which the director
sShefal seemed to give more attention
tah 70 the operation of the roads,
WI tnese forces were Increased by ap-
pr,o,Slmately 261,00o men and their paw
oon oo' was increased by over $4,000, ,o0o,-
400 annually.
Inc manner in which these in
eases were applied had a most de-
s,'9rahzing effect. The effect OF the
H.. ,.smson ~ law and the increases made
- sns Dlrector General and the Labor
o0sla vas to increase the skilled labor
eo,s' transportation, the engineers and
gp'.aIu,etors, n"I.:, about II per cent, and. the
si, ainssllleo, the fremen and trainnen,
as asVus ,oH per cent, that is, the wages
oo ~, unskllled labor were increased az
Yss II cent more than the wages of skilled
e,ov, e-ov e case commonly cited is the
m schsn Seon'ngiy spoken of as 'McAdoo
brought up from 1S.4a-1oo cents an
~ 10 ot72-100 cents an hnnr rnada