Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-05-17
X X 1. =: x r. + x I x I x
THE RAILROADS and Z:
THEIR EMPLOYEES
Published by request of
B. of L. F. e E. No. %


Executives and their propagandists
nave been repeating with persistency
mat amounted to malevolency the
charge that during federal operations
or railroads the employees we're dis
loyal and inefficient. No large group OF
American citizens has ever been sub
Jected to more bitter and unjust
campaign Of abuse than has been en-
dured by the 100000 railroad work
ers,
Every responsible official of the
Railroad Administration has given
voluntary tribute to the loyal and eff
Gent services of these workers, CON-
p'eteIy refuting the charges and insin-
uations uttered against them.
1t is, therefore, proper to inquire in
10 tho conduct Of railroad officials, to
determine whether they, too, were 10y
al to the government during it's great
est emergency and gave the same gen.
erous, efficient service contributed by
the workers to the winning of the
war.
In simple justice it should be stated
at the outset that a majority of rail
road officers measured up to their full
responsibility and obligation. The val
ue OF the services they rendered has
been fully attested by former officials
OF the Railroad Administration.
1t is equally true that some officials
usually those most highly placed
were neither loyal nor efficient, in
support of which statement there is
available abundant testimony.
Railroad Officials Were inefficient
Testifying before the Senate Com
mlttee on Interstate Commerce, Feb
ruary l, 1922, William Gibbs McAdoo,
Director General OF Railroads during
the first year Of federal control, after
paying tribute to the loyalty of rail-
road workers, declared:
CD That some prominent railroad
officials did not or would not render
loyal and efficient service and were
subsequently removed from MANAGE
ment.
(2) That the offending officials
failed to maintain average earnings
for their corporations, thereby incur
ring heavy deficits that were met by
the government.
(3) That had these faithIess off,
Gals performed their full duty while
they were entrusted with railroad man
agement there would not have been a
deficit during the first year of federal
operation.
~ That payrolIs were padded.
thereby imposing an unjust and un-
necessary burden upon the govern
ment of hundreds of millions of dol
lars.
For nearly five months" Mr.. Mc-
Adoo said, "the full power of the GOV
eminent was put behind these corpor-
atoms. These executives were backed
to the limit in what they, and the
Railroad War Board, had declared ne
cessary to operate the railroads sue
cessfully.
"The conditions on the Pennsylvan-
ia, the Baltimore and Ohio, the Read
ing and the Central Railroad Of New
Jersey were SO unsatisfactory because
Of the congestion on these lines and
their failure to produce the requisite
amount Of transportation, in effect
paralyzng transportation all over the
eastern territory, that I became CON
vinced that THE MANAGEMENTS
WE'RE NOT EFFICIENT"
Rail Presidents Given Warming
On the 18th Of January, 1918, Mr.
McAdoo addressed letters to the pres
idcnts of these railroads, in which he
stated frankly" as we were in the
midst of great war, the public in
terest and the life of the nation de-
manded that these railroads should be
operated efficiently and that excuses
were worth nothing.
Unless there was an Immediate de-
cided Improvement, Mr.. McAdoo warn
cd these presidents, it would be nee.
essary to make change in the man
agement of these properties.
In his letter to President Rea, of the
Pennsylvania, Mr.. McAdoo said:
al would not be candid if ! did mol
tell you that am not fully satisfied
with the efficiency of the management
of the Pennsylvania Railroad. | be
Iieve that great Improvement can be
made, and | look to you and the off
GERS of that system to bring that i'm
provement about at the earliest posi-
BILE moment. would not be franz
If ! did not tell you that UNLESS
THERE is A DECIDED IMPROVE
MENT IN THE EFFICIENCY of thu
Pennsylvania system a change in tn
management will become inevitable.
Mr. McAdoo issued similar warnin.
to President Willard, of the Baltimor,
and Ohio Railroad, under date of Jan
uary II, saying: =
Managers Blamed for Deficit
"lF, IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES
asks Mr.. McAdoo, THERE Hal
iBEEN NO "DEFlClT, WHAT BE
COMES OF. THE CHARGE or Ex
TRAVAGANcE AND WAsTEFUL IN
EFFICIENCY NOW 2iPREFERREl
AGAINST FEDERAL CONTROL? D<
NOT THESE FIGURES SHOW THAI