The Washington times., 1914-11-17
Assured of Cooperation.

ASSURING the State commissioners or
the Interstate Commerce Commission S
cooperation, Acting Chairman Glenn
ents said il was obvious that at no
time since railway regulation has been
attempted has the situation appealed
so strongly as at present for co-opera-
tion In promoting uniformity in the
application of the underlying principles
of rate making and rate adjustment. y
1T Is manifest" Commissioner Glenn
ents added. that in no other way can
the Just purposes of regulation, both
State and Federal. be accomplished.
Divergent and conflicting State policies
which become the bases of State rate
fabrics will continue to produce ir-
ritatinC and intolerable conditions of
discrimination, for which some remedy
will have to be found This Condi-
ton" Mr.. Clements said. cries aloud
for cooperative action
Laurence B. Finn president or ire
association, IN his annual address. took
the position that the States inter est
in the reasonablcness of intrastate rate
is equal to that cf the nations"
Mr.. Finn declared the accomplish
ments of governmental regulation JUS
tfy the time. money. and labor AZ
pended. Among these accomplishments
he mentioned the pract cal lmination
of rebatinS to shippers, the elimination
OF the evils of Tree transportation, and
the abolishing of discrimination between
individuals.
Rev ewing legislation of the last year,
Mr.. Finn said the efrect of the Inter
state Commerce Commission decision re-
fusing to reduce interstate rates to the
level OF The 2-cent rates in Oklahoma.
Arkansas and EIissouri will have the
effect OF raising local rates.
Advocated Control.
President Finn advocated that regu-
l:ltion and control by the authority of
the State and Federal governments
should embrace every detail of the ac-
IiNities of the common carriers, includ-
ing investments expenditures equip
ment. material construction, operation,
and charges. He held that the public
has suffered TO the extent that govern
mental regulation has failed to do this.
and that, because of the entanglinS
alliances between transportation COM
pRnies and big business interests, whose
capital is furnished by the same finan-
cial interests" common carriers have
never had a fair chance to demonstrate
their maximum benefit to the public.
While Mr.. Finn did not specifically ad-
vocate Government ownership, he sa d
some things which Indicated a leaning
IN that direction, declaring, among other
things. that employees of private cor
perations are not more protic ent than
those engaged la Government service.
Economy. hr said, demands the elimi-
nation OF competition between public
service enterprises; and, by force Of
this economic condition. monopoly in
transportation is necessary.
should not necessary monopoly be
publicly owned ne asked.
He Quotes Lincoln.
Mr.. Finn secuted the suggestion Of
a partnership between the Govern
ment and the railroads. He quoted
Lincoln's declaration that this ma
tion cannot be half slave and half
free" AS applying and said that the
highways Of the nation cannot be
half private and half public
The surest way to destroy COM
rnunism." Finn added. "is to guaran-
tee private property security from
aggression. The surest way to make
effective this guarantee is to prevent
private ownership or control of nee
pssary monopolicS.
If the protecting hand of this ma
ton is necessary to husband the prod
isal resources in the icy lanJs of
Alaska, why is il not necessary TO
protect the meag-r product of mans
labor from the self-same fate in other
parts of our fair land