The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-22
RAILROADS THROW
 AWAY THE HAMMER AND TAKE UP HORN
Carriers Point With Pride To Vast Improvement In
 Business
By RODNEY r. BUTCHER


 CHICAGO, June 21.-The railroads have thrown away their hammer and bought horn.
 A program of self-boosting has re- placed the self-pity propaganda with which the carriers have until recently sought to repel radical" attacks on their industry, which had raised be- fore them the bogey of goyernment ownership.
 The railroads believe they are si- fencing the cry for public ownership and more federal regulation by pre- senting proof to the country that the roads are functioning efficiently un- der private ownership. They are pointing with pride to the record or increased efficiency in all depart. ments established since the first or the year.
 Ever since the war the invariable reply of railroad heads to congress sional attacks has been the claim that the government ownership period so crippled the roads that they were practically broke" and unable to do anything to remedy defects in service Government ownership, however, could not be blamed indefinitely, ana, as one big industrial leader recently declared:
 "The railroads can plead poverty for ever and ever, but nobody believes them"
 Switch To New Track.
 Hence, it appears some of thS hard CT heads in the railroad lnouslis finally came to realize that 1t was time to switch to another track, ana now the public is being cordially ln- vited to join with the carriers thelh selves in batting the railroads on the back.
 Fortunately there Is something to support this program or sell incubation in which all railroad spok are joining with great gusto The serious box car shortage of last year and the widespread com plaints of shippers were matters not to be considered lightly With DIE grain crop ahead and marked Ieel- val of prosperity In all lines or m dustry. ths roads foresaw the tre mendous demand for freight cars ana realized it was up to them to allow no repetition If there had been such reoetition. many authorities hold, the government ownership proponents would have had trump caros on which to materialize their hopes. Orders.
 Record orders for ney equipment, record breaking speed in improving old equipment and tightening up of efwiciency in every branch Of the transportation system were the re- suit And now, during the past few days, it has been announced that plenty of cars are available to nan de the grain crops, that car short. age has virtually disappeared for all classifications of equipment, ana that car loadings for the last week came within one-half of 1 per cent of the record week in railroad n1s- tory. or a total of 1,013 ,24s cars
 Most of the carriers even neglected to plead poverty in the recent wage demands by their employees. They generally granted these wage in creases and few disputes have re- quired settlement by the railroad labor board.
 Even in the fight to abolish the 50 per cent Pullman car surcharge be- fore the I. c. c. here, the roads. in- stead of insisting that the added reve- nue is a vital necessity, have pointed with pride to the superior service and comfort offered the traveller.
 The keynote slogan of the mechani- cal division of the American Railway association, meeting here this week. has been:
 "The Railroads Have Come Back"