| |
| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| When I received the appointment of assistant
adjutant-general for the purpose of superintending Government
transportation by railroads, I hoped to induce the officers of all
roads in the country to co-operate with each other and with me to
meet the wants of the Government for transportation, but my
experience thus far has convinced me that in this I shall be
disappointed, and that some additional authority will be necessary
to enforce the requirements of the Government in this branch of the
service. There are many roads the officers of which evince a desire
to co-operate and conduct transportation in such a manner as to meet
fully the wants of the country, while there are others, I am
constrained to say, that have not by their works shown a disposition
to meet the necessities of the Government in this particular. |
| In no case have I met with any that openly avow an
unwillingness to do all that is required, but there is a degree of
demoralization extant which induces some to make all manner of
excuses rather than take hold honestly to do the work. I therefore
have recently had my attention directed to some measure that will
tend to cure this evil, and have concluded that the best and
probably the only remedy capable of reaching the difficulty will be
an act of Congress providing for Government to take possession of
any railroad that fails to perform promptly Government
transportation. |
| The necessity for such authority is greatly to be
deprecated, but while it exists the exigency of the public service
demands that the most effectual remedy should be at hand. |
| The constitutionality of such an act I presume would
not be questioned; the only difficulty would be to settle upon a
reasonable compensation. |
| This should be moderate, for the purpose of inducing
companies to make every exertion to prevent their roads from being
taken possession of. To those meeting the requirements of the
Government this law would have no terror, while to laggards it would
act as a spur and might render its use unnecessary. |
| If a measure of this character is entertained, I
should think it ought to provide for taking possession of any road
failing to perform Government transportation promptly, upon the
following terms: |
| First. Fifteen days' notice to be given to the
president and directors of any railroad failing to perform promptly
Government transportation of the intention of the President of the
Confederate States to cause possession of the road to be taken
unless the cause of complaint be removed, or a good and sufficient
reason for such complaint be given within that time. |
| Second. In the event that a road is taken, three
commissioners to be appointed to make an inventory of the property
and its condition, one to be appointed by the President of the
Confederate States, one by the Board of Directors of the road to be
taken, and one by the Governor of the State in which the road to be
taken may have its domicile. |
| Third. The road and property taken to be returned at
the end of the war in like good order and condition as when taken,
and 4 per cent. per annum to be paid semi-annually upon the cost of
the work taken as it stands upon the books of the company. |
| Fourth. Roads taken to be under the management of the
officer having charge of Government transportation by railroad,
whose duty it shall be to cause to be kept an exact account with
each road, crediting each with its earnings, which shall include all
Government transportation, as though worked by the company owning
it, and debited with all its expenses, including the 4 per cent.
provided to be paid the company. The officer having charge of this
branch of service to give such bond and be governed by such rules as
may be prescribed by the Secretary of War. |
| I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant. |
| Wm. M. Wadley |
| Assistat Adjutant-General |