The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-21
STATES ASK CONTROL
OF RAILWAY ISSUES
Convention Of Railway Commits
siOncrs Opposes L. :. Regu-
latiOn Being Paramount.
WANTS TT SUPPLEMENTARY

WASHINGTON. Nov. 20--A resolution
declaring that the Federal Government
should not seek to place its authority
paramount to that OF the states In re
gard to the issuance of railway stocks
and bonds was adopted to-day 10y the
National Association of state Railway
Commissioner.
This action of the state Commissioners
followed a discussion OF the pending
Reyhurn railway securities bill which has
been Endorsed by the Wilson Administra-
tlon
The resolution bearing on Governmental
regulation OF railway securities reads as
follows:
That It Is the sense OF this association
that the issue OF stocks and bonds hy
common carriers and other public service
corporations shall he regulated and con
trolled by Governmental authority. but
that the regulation and control OF issues
~ stocks and bonds by the Federal
Government shall not be In lieu OF but In
addition to the authority OF the several
States in such matters"
The convention also adopted a resou-
ton expressing the opinion that the act
to regulate commerce should be amended
so as to provide that the courts should have
the right to review rates fiNed hy state
commissions. THIS IL intended to meet the
decision Of the supreme Courts In the
Shreveport case
report filed by the commission on
shippers claims sets forth that IT, in
vestigations tend to refute TO some ex-
tent that carriers purpnsely evade pay
ment % a large proportion - claims"
The report says that many Z the
claims arise through shippers using n
cheap frail grade OF containers and that
IL seems reasonable In the 'nteres, Of the
public as well as in tina, ~ the carrier
To discourag. the use OF methods and
containers that arr lacking In safety
The report called attention to the in
crease In loss and damage claims against
railroads As follows:
I'm recent years there has been IN
abnormal increase I'm the payments FOR
loss and dnmaSn To- freight. In 1900 the
amount paid on this account vas 81
055.s?2, while IN 1918 IL was $50 ss5.i54.
an Increase ~ S37 per cent During the
same time freight earnings have increased
l0a per cent. showing thrt tho incrca'"
in payments tor loss and damage Is "u-
tirely out OF prop rtion To- the Increase IN
freight business"
The committee on rails ana equipment
reported that the construction Of wooden
passenger cars in this country has prac-
tlcally ceased.
The convention OF the state Railway
commissioners came TO au end to-day. Next
years convention will ~ held in San
. l IAll'l-ih.
The employees OF the tariff division
OF the Interstate tomm.rC rec commission
continued to-day their checking M OF the
tariffs filed 10y the railroads showing IN
creases in passenger rates. The advances
amount 10 approximately one-f 'urth Of
per cent per mile on the railroads east
OF the Mississippi and north ~ the Ohio
and Potomac rivers.
II viii hc several days before the COM
mission will he In a position to say just
what the advances viii amount to- In
view NJ the fact that IA. carriers are
following the suggestion ~ the commits
sion made In the advance rat" case de
,lsion. II is not d-, -lop-d that IN. new
rates will be suspended. hut that they will
90 INTO effect as scheduled
Tho new rates are scheduled - become
operative In the territory between the
Mississippi River and the Buffslo-Pltts-
burg Wheeling boundary on December l
and IN the territory east Of there on De-
cember 3. The rates will become efrec
;!vc between the two territories on De-
Cemher -,
II was said at the commissions offices this
afternoon that 50 far a. Indicated the
Communication rates Ia and out ~ New
York had not been increased.