The Washington herald., 1907-03-25
STRIKE COMMISSION URGED IT
Body Cleveland sent TO Investigate
Chicago Trouble said Regulation
by National Government would
Become Necessnry-savv Possibility
of Public Ownership.


control of quasi-publle corporations
than we have now"
| This opinion. which is Of especial In
terest in view OF the present railroad
situation, was one OF several along the
same lines expressed thirteen years ago
by a commission which President Cleye-
LAND appointed to investigate and report
on the American Railway Union strike In
Chicago during the months Of June and
July 1g9s.
A perusaI OF the report shows that even
at that time not long after the enact
meat of the law creating the Interstate
Commerce Commission. some careful
thinkers realized that the existing sys-
TEN Of regulation of transportation was
inadequate, and that In the end some such
legislation as last years rate law, and
that which President Roosevelt is now
considering, would be necessary If the
proper relations between common carriers,
the government, and the public were TO
be maintained.
The question Of government ownership
was referred 70 and discussed Ia the re-
port of the strike commission. but no az
tempt was made TO go thoroughly into
its manifold and intricate phases. The
icommisEion did point out. however. the
probability of the question being brought
more and more prominently to the front
as railroad combinations increased.
Carroll ID. Wright Chairman.
The commission was appointed by Presi-
ldent Cleveland July 26. 1894. The law
iauthorizing II was that Of October /. 1SSS.
lThe chairman of the body was Carroll d.
Wright, Commissioner OF Labor. and the
other members John D. Herman. Of Utica.
IN. Y, and Nicholas Z. Worthington, Of
/ Peoria, III.
The report Of the commission was trans
mltted 10 the President November Ii,
1924, and was by him sent 10 Congress
/ December 10 Of the same year, few
days after the converting Of the third
session Of the Fifty-third Congress. The
report was printed as Senate Executive
Document No. Z OF that session.
THE Interstate Commerce Act" said
the commission in its recommendations
and conclusions after discussing railroad
combines, and railroad commission leg
islation in over thirty States are simply
efforts OF the people to free themselves
from the results Of this destruction OF
competition by combination.
a broad range of remedies Is pre-
sented to the commission" the report
continued, las to the best means Of ad-
iusting these controversies fbetween capi-
tai and labor, such as government con-
troll or ownership Of railroads; compUi-
sorry arbitration; licensing Of employees;
the singie-taX theory; restriction or I'M
migration and exclusion Of pauper labor;
protection Of American industries
monetary legislation suppression OF
trusts and combinations; written con-
tracts requiring due notice OF discharge
bv employers and Of leaving service by
employees. United States labor eommis-
sion to investigate and fix hours. rates
OF wages. &c.: a fixed labor unit; author
ity TO courts TO settle these questions;
insurance departments and penslonlng of
employees: fixed hours of labor and mini
mum rates OF wages by statute; change
in law Of liability OF master TO servant,
and various suggestions for relief outside
Of any legislative action
recommendation Premature.
The commission said that Il deemed rec
concentrations Of specific remedies pTema-
ture. such a problem, for instance. as
universal government ownership OF rail
roads, it pointed out, SIS too vast, many
sided. and far away If attempted, 10 be
I considered as an immediate practical rem
edy. Il belongs 10 the socialistic group OF
: public questions. $50 These questions are
pressing more rapidly as time goes on
They need 10 be well studied and con-
sidered in every aspect by all citizens
Should continued combinations and con-
solidations result IN half & dozen or less
ownerships of our railroads within a few
years, as IS by no means unlikely, the
/ question OF government ownership will be
forced 10 the front. and we need to be
ready 10 dispose of 1t intelligently. As
combination goes on. there will certainly
at least have to be greater regulation anc
control OF quasi-pubiic corporations than
We have now
Further on in the report the commission
asked the question, Whenever a natior
: or a state finds itself in such relations tC
a railroad that its investments thereiT
must be either lost or protected BY own
ership. would il not be wise that the road
be taken and the experiment be tried as
an object lesson in government owner
ship2 We need to fear everything
! revolutionary and wrong, but We neeC
fear nothing that any nation can sue
cessfully attempt in directions made nee
essary by changed economic or industrial
conditions"
mission. would fully answer the questions
4 involved.
Public Opinion Impotent.
After expressing the opinion that tbs
fright Of Congress to Iegislate with refer
ence to conditions Of employment ant
service on railroads engaged In interstat,
; commerce seemed by analogy to exist
and referring to the creation Of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, the strike
commission said: Experience, however
has taught that public opinion is no
: alone powerful enough TO control rail
roads. Hence power to review and en-,
+, force the just and lawful decisions Of
the Interstate Commerce. commission
against railroads ought to be vested II
the United States courts. There can bt
no valid objection to this when we beai
IN mind that we are now dealing simply
with quasi-public corporations and moi
} with either individuals or private corpo
rations What is safe and proper for tbs
former might be unsafe and unjust fol
the latter"
/ Concluding a discussion of arbitration
between employers and employees and the
!