The Washington times., 1916-02-07
BOrah TO Force Debate
OF Federal Ownership
Senator, Who Threw Wre nch Into Administrations
Transportation Inquiry, Says Time Has Come to
Study Problem, as Go vernment Regulation
Has Failed.
BY JUDsoN c. wELLIvER.

The stare Is now set for a now devei-
opment OF thN governmental policy to-
ward regulation o; transportation in
this country.
senator Borah Is going to force a
discussion Of Government ownership as
tho alternative tor regulation OF EAR
Lriers \ number OF the radically dis
posed Senators are sympathetic with his
effort. ana the subject is likely to be
opened wide by the Senate within the
next few days
| When Senator .Nnwlands. on December
u, introduced resolution for creation
OF n Joint Congressional commission to
study the whole subject Of transDorta-
tion regulation. nobody dreamed. least
OF all the Administration forces. that
public ownership would he forced into
the consideration. But MIR. Borah
promptly submitted an amendment to
the resolution. directing that the COM
mission should include in its study the
subject OF Government ownership and
he is determined that the proposition
shall not be rejected without fight.
Viewed As Plan To Evade Issue.
Mr. Borah. along with more than a
ion that the Administration proposed
the commission investigation. not be-
cause there WAS any need for investiCa-
ton. but because the tendency OF such
an ambitious program could tc made
the excuse. for an indefinite time. for
sidetrackinR other regulative measures.
The Democratic party was pledged by
tho Baltimore platform particularly to
! -
ton in the direction Of contro! of secur-
ity issues shorty after the Wilson
Administration came into power. 1t was
given cut that this legislation was to be
pressed: but this was followed after the
legislation had been introduced by n
rather mysterious pronouncenent Of
Administration displeasure. Az a re-
suit. there has been absolutely no ac-
Conp,ishmont along this line since the
Wilson regime came into control.
/ In his address TO Congress at the
! opening Of the present session, Presl'
dent Wilson devoted considerable at
tention and emphasis to the idea thai
the time had come, for genera
, survey OF the whole transportation
problem with a view TO determining
what steps should be taken and meas
ureS adopted next. The Importance
which this proposal was given in thu
speech from the throne occasioneC
considerable wonderment. This wa!
! rather accentuated when on Decem
ber II Senator Newlands introduced
Joint resolution reciting that various
regulatory measures were pending II
Congress: that the Interstate Com
merCe Commission has made various
| recommendation as to regulation
that for many years a system of botl
state and Federal regula tiOns hat
been In effect: that there have beer
conflicts between the two plans o
regulation; and that, on the whole
II Is desirable TO have a general sur
! Vey of the experience and the result
of regulation to date.
Therefore, Il is provided that
commission Of Senators and Repre-
sentatives five from each house, shal
| make a general investigation and sur
vey OF the whole subject. and In re
porting shall indicate conclusions a
to the success of regulatory measure
. to this time. and the measures tina
ought TO be adopted for the future.
Then Came BOrah Bolt.
) The resolution went to the Com
mittee on Interstate Commerce, an,
shortly atterward Senator Borah in
troduced his amendment to it requir
ing that the commission shoult
; specifically look into the Government
ownership OF carriers, This amend
ment was received much as IL a farm
hand had chucked a monkey wrench
4 into the gears OF the machine:
' The Newlands' resolution had no
Y aimed al anything quite so broad an
= inclusive: Senator bOrah promptly in
dicated that he expected some funda
$ mental and essential things to be con
1 sidered. Speaking OF these tunda
: fentals. he said today:
n I'VE have had about generation o
regulation of transportation, with vary
ing results, Now the great nations a
the world, With the exception OF on
own. are engaged in AN unprecedente
warfare. An incident II this has bee
T the recognition of difficulties ir eco
nomic adjustment which have led a
the warning countries 10 ADOPT nc'
r OF Great Britain been taken over
the control of the government, bat !
? all of the warning countries govern
= = functions as the hyinG OF prices ar
: tho control Of supplies OF the necccsa
: ries OF life These things have been don
q because unler the stress or grave ma
: | tionaI necessity 1t has been assume
| | that great social efficiency and ecC
! nomIc efficiency could he achieve
= through such means.
: Would Not Surrender Control.
V IF It be assumed that these measure
= are necessary in times Of war becaus
= they can bring about greater econom
and social Efficiency, then it Is quit
imnossible TO assume that when peaC
shall return to the world they will 1
abandoned. For example, the BIRTHS
railroads were taken ever ny tho gov
| ernment as a measure Of military an
| economic necessity, Does anybod
Il lima Rine that those railroads Will eve
o he returned TO tho status that they %
cUpied before this war. Certainly not.
There Is an important consensus c
opinion of railroad presidents, finar
{ ciers, and managers, to the effect tha
( regulation has been carried to the poiT
= where its incapacity TO meet the nece'
= sIty Of the case has been demonstrated
Revond that lies the great uneNp'o ore
= realm OF public ownership. The rest
the world has had n good deal of 90
= perience i'm that realm. We have ha
h none. II it shall he held that rcgulatio
is not the solution OF our difficultie
and that an alternative must be souGh
= then the obvious alternative is publ
1 ownership: and II Is necessary that "
= realize this fact and set ourselves abOl
, the study Of the problem in order th5
we NAV be equipped to handle II. If "
G are to have public ownership of commo
. carriers. II Is at least matter of te
wears study. contemplation and prepS
u ration before we can hone to be pre-
. pared to deal with il. 1t Is none to
L soon for us to begin to look into thes
l. questions"