The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-04-13

steel makers Oh tUiS COuilti9 SiSott9
see that the United States is bound
to be involved in a major war. I'm
der normal circumstances every one
of them, with the war and navy de
partment experts prodding them at
every turn. would begin getting
ready. Before war was declared,
unless it came with terrific sudden
ness. their plants would be ready 10
start turning out munitions and guns
of the precise type needed by the
army and navy.
United States Nary Made
Good Shoiting in u Grid II ar
As matter of fact. the United
States navy made very good show
ing in the World war. while Frank
lin D. Roosevelt was assistant sec
rotary, because Sam MCGOWAN, the
paymaster general of the navy, got
away with murder in placing or
ders before the war declaration.
That is why the navy was fixed so
much better than the army, and
why it was so much less criticized.
But under the proposed law any
steel manufacturer who spent pen
ny on the chance that the United
States might get into the war would
be traitor to his stockholders, even
if he had shown a patriotic spirit.
Why? Because there would not be
a chance of his making any money
for his stockholders, and there would
be the cold certainty that, in addl-
ton to not making any money dur
ing the war period, he would run
into severe losses Immediately after
the war period
The history of every munitions
making enterprise in private hands
has been that it made big profits
during the war, and then took ter
rife losses after the war, what with
cancelled orders, unused inventories
and unneeded expansions of plant.
So they just wouldn't
Answer: Government monopoly Of
the munitions manufacturing bust
ness if the law passes. And the
army and navy don't like that. They
fear congress would never be liberal
enough in advance to have the ma
ton properly prepared.
Unlikely to Be Railroad
Legislation at This Session
It is very unlikely that there will
be any railroad legislation at this
session of congress. Congress has
been tussling with legislation to put
the railroads back on the track to
financial stability almost continu-
ously for the last 20 years. Their
condition has been worse instead of
better and no laws will be enacted
this session which can be of any sig
nifcant benefit to them without the
prospect of a larger volume of traf-
fic. The very best that congress can
do is to help the roads take better
advantage of more business when it
comes.
The problem resolves itself into an
attempt to put better face on the
plain fact that the public demands
several transportation services but
refuses and probably is actually UNI
able, certainly at times, to support
them all adequately railroads,
trucks, buses, inland and inter
coastal waterways, pipe lines, and
air lines. What the public as ship
per won't pay has been met to some
extent by subsidies but with the idea
more of provoking extension of al
tentative, competitive services than
of maintaining them.
Difficult for Congress 10
Turn Our Satisfactory Lao
Couple the railroads proposals as
+ presented to congress in the "com.
mittee Of six" bill with the opposi-
ton Of water, highway and air lines
plus the objections of the railroads
and their employees to any com,
/ pulsion to develop more compact
operating systems by consolidation
\ and coordination, then add the re
4 sistance of creditors to accepting
losses inevitable in railroad reor
ganization which offers any prospec
4 of continuing solvency, and the
chances are slim indeed that con
gEess will be able to grind out
law that is Of AIRY more durable
value than the transportation act o
1920, or the emergency transporta
ton act of 1885.
In the last year two separate ant
opposed expeditions into the trans
4. q l.