The Washington herald., 1912-11-22
WILL MEET HERE
IN OCTOBER, 1878
Railway Commissioners Decide to
Come Back to the Capital for
Next Convention.
LOCAL AGENCY IS DEFEATED

| Washington was selected as the next
place of meeting and October Is was the
date fixed for the twenty-ninth annual
convention Of the National Association OF
Railway Commissioners, by vote of that
body yesterday. The convention prac-
| ticaIly closed its work late yesterday
afternoon, and the members Of the body
expressed the opinion last night that the
| meeting had been one Of the most inter-
esting and important in the history of the
association.
The report OF c. H. Hughes, railroad
commissioner of Ohio, on railway capital
| ization, provoked a lively discussion at
| the meeting yesterday.
Commissioner Clements urged regula-
! tions either by State or Federal govern
ment. but said no action should be taken
which would stop the necessary develop
ment OF the transportation system.
Commissioner Clements, in referring TO
the capitalization report, said:
Would Curb SpecuIatOr.
Regulations should be adopted that
will cut out the speculator and the
manipulation. Predatory interests" he
said, take millions of dollars out of the
investing public's pocket yearly. These
are the interests that have inflated
stocks away beyond actual value. 1t is
reflected in the high rates that obtain
upon the railroads. rates which the con-
Stunning public must pay.
Your committee has urged full pub
licity in the issuance of stock and securi-
ties. What do the predatory interests
care for publicity? If railroad stocks
can be watered and inflated prOmiscuous-
ly. higher rates than ever will obtain in
this country. Control of railway capital
ization should be placed definitely in
either the State commissions or with the
Interstate Commerce Commission"
Commissioner Henshaw. OF Oklahoma,
urged that correct weights should be
made mandatory on the railroads and
used as a basis for freight charges.
Agency Plan Defeated.
An effort oft repeated to establish in
Washington a general agent to repre-
sent all the State railway commissions
in their conferences with the Interstate
Commerce Commission was defeated
by vote Of the convention. The retiring
executive committee submitted a resolu-
ton to instruct the new executive head
Of the association to make inquiry as to
suitable persons to act as general repre-
sentatives for the State commissions,
and to find a means TO defray the eX-
pt nses of such representative, preferably
by Ievying a small tax on each State
bO6y. Though the project had the COM
bined support of the retiring president
and the old executive committee II failed
when put before the convention.
Several commissioners especially those
of Oklahoma and California, vigorously
object TO the establishment of such an
agent. and the objeCtOrs succeeded in.
carrying a motion to lay the resolution
on the table.
Hope to Win Yet.
Members of the association who favor
such a step declare they will prosecute
the object with vigor at the next meeting
of the convention in the hope Of carry
ing their point.
Considerable time was spent in the dis
cussion OF uniform railway statistics, and
B. II. Meyer, of the Interstate Commits
sion made an address on the subject. He
deplored the inability OF the committee
to obtain such statistics, and Mr.. Meyer
urged the matter upon the attention Of
the State commissions to the end that in
time it might be possible to secure sta
tistics of railroads that would mean in
one State what they do in another.
Fresh Cut, Homegrown Flowers.
The finest specimens OF all seasonable
varieties; reasonably priced. Guide, 1914 F.