GIVE PRESENT RAILWAY LAW FAIR TRIAL SAYS HINES IN INTERVIEW

"The condition of the railroads at the present time is very encouraging", declared Mr. Walker D. Hines, when interviewed recently by a CRIMSON reporter. Mr. Hines was director-general of the railroads during the war.

"The present railway law should be given a fair trial", he continued. "The members of the farm bloc in Congress are doing everything they can to have the bill repealed. They consider that the provision directing the Interstate Commerce Commission to fix rates so that the railroads will receive a fair return, is detrimental to their interests. This provision is the best feature of the bill, in my opinion. Formerly every company tried to undersell every other road, with the result that wages were low, and investors did not receive a fair return on their money. This new provision promises to stabilize the railroad industry, provided that it is given enough time to go into full effect.

"The labor situation in the railroads is very satisfactory. The only dissatisfied people are the operators. The Labor Board in Washington, composed of three labor representatives, three capitalists and three representatives of the public, promises to be an entire success. A great number of disputes are now referred to it for decision instead of to the power of strikes. It will be of great assistance in bringing the country back to normal conditions.

"I do not believe that the coal strike will have any very serious effect on the

No Trouble From Coal Strike

railroads," he continued. "In the first place, most of the companies have enough coal stored up to last them for two or three months, without any other source of supply. In the second place, the mines in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Southern Pennsylvania are non-union mines, and have therefore remained in operation. These mines produce approximately one-third of the annual coal output. I expect that they will produce an even greater amount during the strike. This, with the coal already stored up, should be sufficient to maintain practically normal railroad service.

"The present financial condition of the railroads is poor, but that does not mean that it will remain so for long. With the present railroad law in operation, with the Labor Board controlling the relations of capital and labor, and with general normalcy already in sight, I cannot help feeling that the future of the railroads is very promising.