Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-20

said:
TT will relate to every phase OF tn
transportation question, the rah car
riers. the river carriers and the oceal
carriers. and the perfection OF mar
monious system of transportation EN-
bracing rail, river and ocean carrier
that will meet the demands OF inter
state as we'll as foreign commerce, ant
it will also be applied to telegraph an
telephone lines, express companies ant
other public utilities.
1T will embrace not only the SUD
ject Of government control and regu!a
ton Of these utilities. but also the wis
dom and the feasibility of government
ownership, and the comparative WORT
and efficiency Of government regulation
and control as compared with govern
ment ownership and operation.
To Consider Government Ownership
TT will not be possible for US to come
to a speedy conclusion regarding all
questions. but that conclusion Will be
more quickly arrived at If we have the
sympathetic aid of practical men who
for years have been conversant with
the practical side of the transportation
question of the economists and public
lists, of railway executives and workers
Of commercial bodies, farmers and
manufacturers and shippers gener-
ally
Referring to government ownership.
MIR. Newlands said: 1T is a question
advanced in civilization have adopted
the system. Recently. under the stress
of war. almost all European govern
ments have taken over the railways
Whether that will be permanent tax.
ing over or only temporary one, u
demonstrates that In conditions OF
great crises when autocrattc powers
must be given to the government. all
Intelligent governments DRIFT toward
absolute and complete operation OF the
roads as the only solution of the ques-
ton.
IF we pursue the exercise and the
study OF government regulation wisely
persistently and energetically, we may
create such a system of regulation as
will meet every requirement. both IN
time of peace and of war. and in eNl-
gency or crisis. But it seems to be
wise thing for the government OF the
United States to ascertain now the ms
tory Of the countries that have adopt
ed government ownership and opera
ton of railways, and to watch the ex-
periences of the European countries in
this great war in this regard.
Means of Taking Over Railroads.
In this connection will come the
question of the method of taking over
the railroads. Shall it be accomplished
by an actual valuation of the railways
and a condemnation of them. or shall
they be taken over by the easier
method of taking over the stocks and
the bonds at their market value, thus
at one step having the national govern
ment take the position OF stockholder
and security holder in these great cor
porations?'
Strikes as a means of settling labor
disputes. Senator Newlands character.
lied as "the most barbaric and brutal
of processes" THE question is" he
added, whether a nation pretending to
some degree of civilization, which has
eliminated the doctrine of force from
application to controversies between
man and man. and which furnishes
judicial tribunals for the settlement of
those controversies. and which is now
and has been for years endeavoring in
ternationally to secure system under
which the nations of the earth will
create similar tribunals for the ADJUST
ment of international disputes without
resort to force-whether a civilized ma
ton can be content to perpetuate the
existing condition of things"
Hours and Wages Of Employees.
Hours and wages of employees must
be considered carefully. Senator New
lands declared. because the burdens
which constitute the operating expenses
of these corporations are in time trans
ferred to the shippers" He added:
They cannot long rest upon the in
vestors. for if they rest upon them too
heavily. there. will be a decline in the
securities and consequent difficulty
in securing the money for improve
ments and extensions. and thus the
PUBLIC demands themselves will not be
Senator Newlands outlined the pro-
posals to reorganize the Interstate COM
merce commission, and to create fed
eral agencies which might supplant
state authorities in exercising control
over railroad financing. He said: THE
question will be considered as to
whether the commission is now over
loaded, and. IL SO, whether this diff
Guilty should be met by relieving it Of
many of the supervising and admins
trative duties which it now exercises,
or by charging and subdividing 1t. so
as to enable it to meet the strain of it's
various duties.
Another question of Importance that
viii come up will be the question of
the control of railway and other public
utility securities. As il is most Of the
Scate public utility commissions are
regulating the issue of securities upon
the state over which each has jurisdic-
ton.
Rights of States Involved.
1t is suggested that the United
States government, by reason of its
power over interstate commerce, should
create a tribunal for that purpose or
give such control to the interstate COM
merce commission. So the question of
state rights will be involved in this
most interesting subject
There will also come up the question
as to whether the nation or the states
should create the great organizations
that serve the purpose of interstate COM
merce- Thus far we have been content
20 allow the states to create these cor
Dorations, these railroad companies"
Commenting on suggestions that rail-
road taxation he put in the hands of fed
efai authorities exclusively, Senator New
lands said: We find the greatest di-
Nersity in the tax laws of various states
some states imposing heavy burdens
upon these corporations, and others i'm
posing very light burdens; some taxing
only the visible property and others tax
ing the tangible thing termed a fran
thist, some Of them adopting the marke,
price OF the stocks and bonds az the
standard and measure of valuation
others con'enting themselves simply with
the physical valuation of the actual prom
-r'y within the boundaries of the state