The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1950-09-07

what sorry mess it made of the
job.
During World War II, govern
ment apparently had learned its
lesson and exercised the good
judgment of leaving the rail-
roads under private operation
and control. What contrast
there was between their orderly
and efficient performance in
World War ii as compared with
the haphazard and inefficient
misperformance in World War I.
In fact, during World War Ii
the railroads did themselves
proud-they more than justified
the vote of confidence reposed in
them-they not only handled the
war load, but also saved the gov
ernment heap of money while
doing it. In World War /, during
the three years 1918-20, the gov
ernment collected from the rail-
road companies 146 million dol
lars in federal income taxes, but
during those same years there
was deficit in excess of $1,641,-
100000 resulting from govern
ment operation to be paid out of
the federal treasury.
In World War II, during the
years and 8 months between
Pearl Harbor and the capitula-
ton of Japan, the railroad COM
panies paid in federal taxes
more than $4,270,00O,000 in adj
dition to payroll taxes of $770,-
900, ,000-and there was no deficit
on account of federal operation
to be met by us poor taxpayers.
And, my fellow-taxpayers, there
was a net gain for us of $780,
100000 over World War land
that amount of money "ain't
hay.
And while the railroads were
saving us this vast amount of
money they literally performed
miracles. They handled 81 per-
cent of all organized troop move
ments and more than 90 percent
of all war freight. During World
War II, the total freight load on
the railroads doubled, the pas
senger load multiplied 4 times.
Nor was this done by jacking
up freight rates and passenger
fares. During the first world war
and the period Immediately
thereafter, it was found neces-
sary to increase freight rates by
an average of approximately so
percent. At the close of World
War II freight rates were no
heigher than when the war be-
gan, despite large wartime in
creases in wages, taxes and the
price of supplies; while the level
of passenger fares was lower
than it was even before the first
world war.
Thus the railroads thoroughly
proved the superiority of private
ownership and control over gov
ernment ownership and control.
That should silence forever the
voices clamoring for nationaliza-
ton of our railroads, but it is
too much to hope that it will.
And what about impending
World War III? In July the
member roads of the Association
of American Railroads held a
special meeting at Chicago. A
definite rail transportation pro-
gram to meet the needs of COM
merce and the demands of de-
fense was unanimously adopted.
Space does not permit going
| into the details of this program.
However, it was drawn up by
experienced railroad men
pledged to put it into effect.
After the splendid job these men
did in World War II certainly
they can be trusted to handle
efficiently transportation OF
troops and war freight In the
unhappy event we become in
volyed in a third world war
that is, provided the federal
government, as was the case IN
World War II, again exercises
the good common sense of leav-
ing the operation of our rail-