The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-06-28
HARDING URGES
RAIL MERCER
Executive Believes Fewer Sys-
tens Would Relieve Big Over
head on Little Roads.
MAKES PLEA FOR FARMER
In Favor Of Forcing Roads to Operate
in Groups-Ths Is One Of Three
Suggestions Made in Kansas City
Speech.

Kansas City, Mo.-President Hard.
ing, here turned from a discussion
Of his efforts to get this country into
the world court set up by the League
of Nations to a consideration of do
nestle issues. The transportation
question in which the whole country,
and particularly the farmesr of the
middle west, is vitality interested was
his theme in an address before mon
ster meeting at Convention Hall.
Everywhere here his reception was
in marked contrast to the respectful
apathy apparent on every side in St.
Louis, where he explained his revised
plan for American adherence to the
international court.
During fifteen mile ride of the
Presidential party through the streets
and parks of Kansas City the people
turned out in full force. The cheer
ing was almost continuous.
The response of the auditors of H.
600 that filled Convention Hall when
the President spoke on the railorad
question was of an entirely different
character from that In the Coliseum
In st. Louis. Mr.. Harding frequently
paused in his st. Louis speech and
waited for applause, which came only
feebly or not at all.
The discussion OF the railroad prob
lem here was more academic, and
% mis- p "a
audience had an opportunity to cheer
at striking point in the argument.
But every word was listened to care
fully, and the handclapping was fire.
quently augmented by cheering.
Mr.. Harding advocated consolida-
tion Of railroads into large groups.
He warned of the danger of letting
the transportation lines starve to
death for want Of adequate financial
return, and he expressed the hope
that a way would be found to induce
both the railroad employees and ex-
ecutives to defer to the decisions of
a labor tribunal which would have the
confidence of both sides in wage con-
troversies and of the public.
sympathy with his assertion that
way must be found to place the rail-
roads on a solid basis, and especially
his statement that no other question
is of greater importance because in it
lies the solution of an agricultural
problem, and the consequent assur-
ance of the industrial position Of the
United States.
While the people of this section for
the most part look at the railroad
question from the standpoint of the
President and clamor for reduced
freight rates, the Presidents hearers
seemed to understand the truth of his
assertion that many railroads are
earning so little and costing so much
to operate that they cannot be ade-
quately maintained and expanded suf-
ficiently to meet the demands of the
traffic.
The applause was greater perhaps
when Mr.. Harding, after referring to
the depressed condition of agriculture,
said the farmers were calling loudly
for relief from present transportation
burdens, and when he added that the
vital existence of the nation depends
upon continuity Of transportation and
that the public was most interested,
as the party on which finally must
be placed the burden of whatever adj
iustment is made.
Mr.. Harding's discussion of the
three plans he advanced for solution
of the railroad problem--Goyernme
operation Of the weak roads with
bearing of the loss; Government own
ership and operation of all the rail-
roads in a gigantic pool; and the COM
pulsory consolidation heretofore pro-
posed into large groups under private
management and Government regula-
ton, instead of the voluntary provi-
sion for such consolidation as now
provided for in the Esch-C ummins
transportation act-was followed at
tentively.