The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-02-01
SCORES RAILROAD
MISMANAGEMENI
McAdOO Says Government
Took Over Roads Be-
cause They Failed
FEDERAL CONTROL
SAVED SITUATION
Private Management Broke Down In
Stress of War Takes Sharp Issue
With Railroad Presidents Asking
Compensation from Government.

Stress of War Takes Sharp Issue
With Railroad Presidents Asking
Compensation from Government.
i WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-Charges of
inefiiciency in federal wartime control
of railroads have been made and pub
lished with Il recklessness for which igno-
rance. design. or selfish purpose alone can
account William q. McAdoo. former
director general of the railroad admins
tration. declared today at the senate in
terstate committee investigation Of the
present railroad situation.
! Beginning what was expected to be a
ftwo-day statement on the situation. Mr.
! IcAdoo told the committee the govern
mcnt took over the railroads in 1917 be-
, cause they were breaking down under a
private management, unable to meet the
stress of war demands, and that federal
control and unified operation saved the
/ situation.
| Not only was the transportation ma
chine kept running, he insisted. but its
condition was improved. its equipment
: extended, and it was returned to private
owners in such shape that it was able to
handle greater volume Of traffic in 1920
than ever before
Criticized Presidents.
Mr.. McAdoo took sharp issue with
railroad presidents who have. before con
gressional committees and the interstate
commerce commission. made declarations
to the contrary. He presented copies of
letters sent by him in 1918 to President
Rca of the Pennsylvania and President
Willard of the Baltimore & Ohio among |
others, notifying them he considered their |
management unsatisfactory and in
efficient.
The measures taken during the year
1918 called for no apologies" said n re- |
port signed by 4. II. Smith. president of |
the New York Central. and six other |
railroad men, who were regional directors
under the railroad administration. which |
MIR McAdoO presented aS conclusive
answer to the charges he mentioned |
They were caused by war conditions. |
and the efficient operations of the rail |
roads in support Of the government dur |
ing the war justifics every act of the ad- |
miniStratiOn.'
Railroad men ran the railroads of the |
United States when ! was director gen |
eral." he claimed. and if they were in |
efficient or disloyal to their government |
they must answer to their conScicuccs. |
But / have said that | believed them to |
be both loyal and efficient. and that the |
remarkable results they achieved in 1918
concluSively proved they were.
Inconsistent Claims.
eHt attempt to show the railroads were in |
splendid condition when the government |
acquired control and the efforts of rail |
road executives to obtain increased rates
are disclosed by the interstate com |
mcTcc commission records" he continued |
taking up the claims for damages and |
under-maintenance presented by the |
railroads. In view of the pathetics pic |
ture drawn by these executives from 1910 !
to 1917, before the commission. the least I
cynical might be justified in questioning !
the good faith Of these who bolster up n |
fictitious case against the federal control |
by asserting their roads were maintained /
in private hands to the highest point |
efficiency"
Railroad Men at Fault.
While making no drastic changes in !
the management of railroads." as director |
general. Mr. McAdoo said. he had called |
at once to his aid some of the ablest men |
IN the railroad world. Notwithstanding, |
.in January, 1918, he addressed an iden- |
teal letter to heads of several of the |
heads of larger systems, saying that he /
was not fully satisfied with the efficiency |
of management" and looked To officers /
LOT the system to bring about improve |
.ment."
We are in a great war. and excuses |
are not worth anything the letter said |
in part. The only thing that tells now |
is results"
Five months later, he said. on the dem |
onstration as made the officers of the |
corporations were superseded by the re |
giOnal railroad directors.
The issue is incscapable." ne said. !
after reclting the measures taken. If |
there was in 1918 extravaganza and in |
efficiency. these railroad executives were |
guilty of it. and if they were not guilty
then they are now, for their own purposes. |
guilty of an attempt to smirch the record
What excuse can they offer for their
reckless and indiscriminate criticism Of
! the operation of railroads under fcderaIl
control?7
/ The deficit incurred during the first
! five months, before the regional directors
took charge, was much greater than that
which was incurred during the seven
months remaining of the same year. Mr..
! McAdoO said. and this demonstrated tho
conclusion he had given.