The Ocala banner., 1922-06-16

The discussion of the railroad prob
lem by William G McAdoo and Walk
er ID. Hines. the men who controlled
the railroads during the period of
Federal control. before the Senate
committee ON interstate commerce
has created a profound impression
throughout the country
None Of the newspapers gave the
testimony the space its importance
merited. but a number OF the more lib
eral dailies printed extended editorial
comment
The following editorial under the
hear. a Railroad Fiction Explained, "
appeared in the New York World
No assumption in recent days has
been more dearly cherished or more
vociferously proclaimed over the land
by the railroad executives than that
the Government took over the roads
during the war in the pink of con
dition and returned them some two
years later broken down and dilapida-
ted
This claim Jared badly at the hands
Of the former Director General of
Railroads. Walker ID. Hines. before
the Senate interstate commerce COM
mittee. The pink-Of-conditiOn fiction
was first exploded by the simple pro-
cess Of quoting the testimony of prom
inent railroad officials given to the
Interstate Commerce Commission be-
fore the Government had assumed war
control OF operations.
Mr. Hines then asserted that the
Government not only had not under
maintained equipment but had sub
stantially overmaintained it, He has
elsewhere said that the Government
spent hardly less than a billion dollars
in this Overmaintenance. The roads
were not permitted 10 run down under
Government control. and one proof
is 90 be found in the unprecedented
volume Of traffic carried in the last
days Of Government operation. Mr..
Hines further shows that labor eff
cheney improved also. contrary to the
contention OF the roads
The railroad propaganda upset by
Mr. Hines was undertaken originally
for the purpose OF discrediting Gov
ernment ownership OF operation But
Il the roads had no better case than
this their cause would be in a bad
way
The following editorial under the
caption Truth About Railroads." was
printed IN the Washington Times and
WAS later reproduced in all the Hearst
papers
After the railroads were delivered
back 90 their old private managers
there started up Immediately all over
the country we'll organized we'll Fl.
nanced campaign defaming Govern
ment operation
THE sky Was the limit of the lies
which were spread about Government
operations and about the inefiiciency
Of the railroad employees as a result
Of Government operation
Those who understood how the
great corporations and big bankers
operate saw At once this was propa-
ganda They knew. therefore. that the
private managers had something to
conceal
Mr. McAdoo has recently broken
his silence. with a categorical denial
of these railroad claims And now
comes Mr. Hines with an even strong
er denial and with proof overwhel-
mingly thar the Government improved
the railroads
llc shows that the railroads had
broken down utterly when the Gov
eminent took possession Of them. and
we're absolutely unable 60 carry out
their part ~ the var work which was
why the Government bad 80 rake them
he makes plain that the locomo-
iites after the Government had them
fer 4 Rblle, were IN far better conli-
tion than previously AMI So were the
cars
"This Is not all tie demonstrates