Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-02-02
R0ADS.Il)RNED
BACK IMPROVED
N .A||D0'0 ARGUES
Former Director ! Gener- E:
al Cites Locomotives |
and Cars Added. =.
Says Executives Didn't
Produce Same Results
in; War as Prior to 1t.

Washington, Feb. Railroads wer'
In better physical condition at the en'
Of the period Of federal control tina,
they had been. when taken over during
the war, William G. McAdoo, former
secretary Of the treasury and wartime
director general of railroad, told tbs
senate interstate commerce committee
Wednesday, in giving an accounting OF
his guardianship Of the properties dur
ing 1915 The committee, which is in
quiring into recent railroad conditions
was unable to hear ,sll of Mr.. McAdoo's &
testimony and he will continue Thurs
day.
Mr.. .McAdoo contended railroad labor
had been loyal, reniaining at its post
when more lucrative employment was
offered in other industries and that
wage Increases made while he was di-
rector general were not excessive, but
subsequently were further increased.
Big Increase u Equipment y
The. railroads, were turned back to
their owners, he. declared, with 2,0O6
y more locomotives, 26,Sl5 more freight
and 1851 more passenger cars than
they had possessed at the beginning Of
federal control ard "were in condition
to meet the heaviest traffic demands
in their history" q
The credit Of the railroads was de-
stroyed before the war" he said, quot
ing statements by the railroad execu-
tives. The executives, he added, did
not produce under federal control the
results as to revenue and operation
they had brought about prior to that
time. *T$
Regional System Required by War !.
The railroads were permitted to con-
tinue for four months after federal
control. was established with little in
reference in the way of management,
ton, he; contended, was necessary in
May, 1913, when he became convinced
that the arrangements Of the railroads
by the railroad corporations could; not
produce desired results"
"Unification of the railroads" he
continued, ''saved. $11SO0O, 900 in oper-
ating expenses in 191S.". Throughout
federal control, experienced railroad
executives were in charge of the prop
critics under his direction, he said, de-
1ying the deliberate attempts made
to create the. impression that I made
immediate drastic. changes in. the man
agement Of the railroads, disregarded
the experience ard ability Of the rail-
road men of the country and attempted
to run the railroads upon new and un-
tried theories Of my own"
Dosss't Favor Private Pooling
Replying to a question, Mr.. McAdoo
declared he did not, advocate pooling
OF business by the railroads under pri-
vate control, but favored assisting the
roads in competing for traffic.
II the railroads we're in .'depIorable
condition" when returned to the cor
porations March l., 1920, and il their
equipment was in the worst condition
ever known" he asked how it was pos
sible that IA TINT year, as stated in the
testimony Of their executives, they
handled the largest volume of traf-
fic" in their history.
Vast Sum Spent by U. S.
Performance of this greatest task"
he added, was possible because during
the, period of federal control S1,219.- |
64O.xN was expended in improvements. |
additions betterments and. equipment |
which made the railroad properties an |
infinitely better transportation I ma:
chine than on January 1, 1918, when |
the government took possession" /" -
Mr.: McAdoo said in his opinion, rail
road labor was grossly underpaid at |
the time the government took control |
and that there were many grave abuses
in the, matter of working conditions.
It ives necessary. he contended, to ffx
rates of pay for, railroad employees
that would enable the railroads to COM
Nand their share of the country's Ia
Dor $50 that this basic necessity Of the
war could function at the required