The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-01-24
BANK RECORDS REVEAL
! DIVISION or PROFITS
IN CRIME PARTNERSHIP
ROADS NOT BROKEN
DOWN ON RETURN
Walker D. Hines Believes U. S. Gov
ernment Substantially 0ver-Main-
tanned the Equipment of Roads.

Washington, ~ ~. Jhii' - AeSc'
tions that the railroads were turned
back to their owners after the period
of government control in broken
down. condition were denied to-day by
Walker ID. Hines in statement before
the interstate commerce commission ln
which the former, director Of railroads
bsaid he believed the government had
substantially over maintained the
equipment Of the roads.
Mr. Hines told the committee that
reports at the end of federal control
showed locomotives to be in distinctly
better" condition than at the beginning
and the condition of freight cars TO
compare favorablya with that time.
II must be, remembered, be added, that
both generally were exceedingly poor
conditions at the beginning of federal
operation.
Although there had been some short
age OF maintenance in rails, cross ties
and ballast on some roads, MIR. Hines
said this had been greatly exaggerated
in the general discussion. There could
be no better proof Of the condition OF
the roads when turned back, the for
mer director general said. than the un-
precedented volume of business which
they began to handle within four
months of that time, in 1920, without,
he asserted, any marked Improvement
in the condition of their rolling stock.
Comparing the efficiency OF labor
under government control Mr.. Hines
declared that the traffic units Of serv-
ice per man hour had increased from
so in 1915 to 90 in 1917 and 1918, and
to 100 in 1910, thus showing more
traffic units per man than ever be
FORE; With this start in 1920, he said
the figure had been increased TO l0l.
Quoting from the reports Of regional
directors for 1915 and 1919 Mr.. Hines
said these showed ''vigilant and eff
cient performance of the public service
and satisfactory handling OF the bus
mess under peculiarly difficult eondi-
tions
Stating that critics OF the railroad
administration among the rail execu-
tives appeared to take as starting
point the idea that their equipment
was in ideal condition when the govern
ment took control Mr.. Hines cited the
testimony OF President Rea Of the
Pennsylvania railroad company in 1917
in the advance rate case before the
interstate c0mmece commission. Mr..
Rea then declared ia effect, he said.
that it had been impossible to maintain
passenger car equipment, that the
service Of freight cars had
left great numbers in need of repairs
and locomotive repairs also had suf
s. Il u ff.4ta
labor.
Although some who criticized the
administration maintenance policy
seemed to take the position that it
should have placed no limitation on
maintenance expenditure. Mr.. Hines
said. the government had adopted the
"perfecly proper limitation that
such amounts should" correspond rea-
sonablv with the governments contract
obligations expect in unusual cir
cumstance. In defense of this policy,
the former directr general recalled that
evew railroad strictly limits its Of
fers in maintenance expense. II was
better in doubtful cases for the govern
ment to fall somewhat short Of the
contract obligation in maintenance al
lowance than to exceed il. he said, be
cause the contract expressly protected
the company in the. former case
whereas the governments claim for
excess was not so clearly established.
Mr.. Hines said the railroad administra
tion had substantially oyermaintained'
rolling equipment, generally because
il wanted the maintenance put on
equipment which it could Immediately
use He contradicted statement
which he he said had been made
before the committee by Daniel
Willard. president of the Baltimore and
Ohio raiIoad to the effect that the ad
ministration had had ordered a change
in the car repair standards. asserting
that the tests Of inspection under
federal control were probably more
strict" than. than prior to it.