Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-23
CONGRESS AM RAILROADS
STILL SEVEREPa ROBLEM
Daily Letter by Frederic }. Haskin


WASHINGTON, Nov. 20.-There
is abundance of authority for the
statement that the railroad problem
isprobably the most serious one be-
fore the American people today.
Aside from the controversy over
the Railroad Labor Board, the i'm
mediate manifestation of difficlty is
the car shortage which exists, par
ticularly in the western part of the
country. The American Railway
Association estimates a shortage of
between 10000 and 200,0 600 cars of
all sorts, and the railroad executives
say that there is no remedy for this
shortage which can be applied now.
The country must get through the
emergency the best way 1t can, tax
ing such losses as are unavoidable
! and possessing itself in patience un-
til a permanent solution a be
found.
The American transportation sys-
tenn runs quite smoothly in fair
weather when traffic is not too
lyheavy and when there are no alb
FORMAL difficulties in the way. Just
as soon as something untoward hap
pens, however, it gets all cramped
and tied up like a MAI with a bad
case of rheumatism. Unfortunately
the comparison ends there, for in
the case of the victim Of rheumatism
he Is the only one Who suffers, put
when the railroads get In condltlon
such that they canneS function nor
mally, everybody suffers.
Instead of taking a temporary
| measure with a rusty elbow, the
rheumatic patient, Il ne is WISE
takes treatment for the rheumatism
in his whole system He attempts
to eliminate the basic trouble. 1t is
| becoming plain that instead OF at
tempting temporary ~expedients with
recurring railroad troubles, Congress
! must proceed to a thorough treat
| ment which will better n WhoIe
transportation machine.
In all probability an extra session
OF Congress will be called after the
| fourth Of March, 1928, which vii!
| be devoted largely to the railroad
problem. This will mean that a
series Of hearings will be conducted
to obtain the best available adVlce
| en- what legislation should De en-
acted. Following this, a genera
transportation bill will be framed
and threshed out in Congress.
Senator LaFollette, author of the
railroad valuation act, is expected TO
take a leading part in this program
and railway presidents snudoe
when they think about what he may
do, The Wisconsin statesman has
made it clear that i'll his judgment
the troubles of the railroads are prl-
marily to oVer-capitalization and
financial mismanagement, and the
men whom he regards as responslpie
will get anything but sympathetic
treatment at his hands. he Is re-
garded as in a degree the spokesman
for labor and it is possible ne ma
lead the fight for the apoIltlon o.
the Railroad Labor Board Wnlcn
samuel Gompers mas said the amer
lean Federation OF Labor IS ue'
termined to make. Senator Cum
Minis, as chairman Of the committee
on Interstate commerce, is anothel
who will be exceedingly active II
lshaninp any railroad legislation tina
may be enacted. The Iowa senate
Is regarded as more sympathetic 10
yard railroad management than nj:
colleague from the Badger state
Railroad Extensions Inadequate
The United States and its railroad
system may be likened to a growing
boy in his clothes. The clothes mus
be constantly enlarged to keep vi
with the boys growth or they weal
the freedom of his limbs. Befor
thin in important places and bint
the war about $500 miles of railroad
were built each year. This was tn,
with the growing population an
enlargement necessary to keep Vi
commercial activity Of the nation
when the war came, railroad build
ing stopped. and since that tim
there has been practically no ne
gain in mileage or facilities. II
fact, in some sections many miles o
railroad were torn up. There wa
La period when the war was at 1t
height and cost of operation bore
Idisproportionate relationship t.
rates of transportation, when som
small companies abandoned opera
ton and tore up their rails. selllni
them for junk. The steel value wa
higher than the track value.
The same is true of railroa'
leduipment. The ears and locomo
lives necessary to handle the traffi
Offered were insufficient. Tines
things cost money and the railroad
did not have the funds to make tn
necessary expenditures. Not onl
were the additions to equipmen
few; existing care and locomotive
lwere permitted to d~eteriorate.
Good progress was being made j
Icatching up when the shopmen
strike came last summer, essailin