Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-12-29
PLAN TO RESUME
RAILWAY INQUIRY
AFTER MARCH 18th
POstpOnement Forced by Press
of Congressional Business.
COUNTRY DEMANDS ACTION

tives of All Branches of Business De-
mand Unification of System of Rail-
way ResuI aton-Roads Ask Fewer
Masters.
Washington, Dec. 18-The Congress
sional Joint Committee on Interstate
| Commerce, which has been conducting
the inquiry into government regulation
and control of transportation, last
week decided to suspend it's hearings
on the subject and adjourned subject
to the call of the chairman, because of
the pressure of other work before Con-
gress. According to the resolution Gre
ating the committee, it is required to
submit report by January Sth next
1t Is understood that before that time
| the committee will ask for an extern
sion of time and that the hearings will
be resumed at a later date, when some
of those who already have appeared
before the committee will be question
ed further and a great many others
| will be heard. 1t is probable, howev-
err, that the hearings will not be resum-
ed until after adjournment Of Congress
on March 4th. In addition to regular
routine business the commerce COM
mittees of the two houses are charged
with the important duty Of preparing
and presenting the legislation asked
for by President Wilson to make i'm
possible railroad strike without pre-
vious investigation. This will leave
little or no time for the consideration
Of the general questions of railway
regulation.
Country Wants Something Done.
Members of Congress and others
who are interested in the inquiry I'M
dertaken by the Newlands Committee
insist that there is no intention of
abandoning it.
1t seems doubtful, indeed, if the
country would permit the matter to
be dropped If there were evidence of a
desire on the part of Congress to do
so. The nationwide evidences of in
terest evoked by the initiation Of the
Newlands inquiry show that the peo
pie of the country-shippers, consum-
ers and investors, as well as railway
men themselves-are alive to the fact
that the railway situation is highly un-
satisfactory and that steps must be
taken without unnecessary delay to
make it possible for the railroads to
meet the growing needs Of the nation.
From reports received here it seems
as though almost every commercial or
ganization and business interest in the
country were engaged in studying the
railroad question. The Chamber of
Commerce of the United States has
been conducting an elaborate inquiry
into various phases of the subject for
many months past. Many local and
state commercial bodies in every part
Of the country have committees en-
gagged in study Of the problem and
have indicated desire to come here
and present their views. National or
CARNATIONS Of manufacturers, lumber
men, coal operators, wholesale and re-
tail dealers, have expressed through
resolutions their desire for the unifica-
ton of the system of railway regula-
ton. The National Industrial Traffic
League, speaking from the viewpoint
Of shippers using the railways, has
Endorsed exclusive federal regulation
providing it is accomplished in such
way as to give full protection and
prompt adjustment In matters relating
to transportation within the states.
Many Interests Studying Problem.
All these organizations represent pri-
marily the shippers of the country, but
they are not the only ones who are
taking hand in the discussion. The
investors Of the nation, through their
own associations and through commit
tees representing the savings banks and
other financial organizations, are pre-
pairing to show the necessity of improv-
ing railroad credit and protecting the
rights of those whose money is invest
, ed in railway securities. Finally the
railroads themselves, being vitality con
cerned in the improvement of existing
conditions, are planning to submit their
views through their executives, oper,
ating officials and traffic experts and
to assert their willingness to accept far
reaching federal regulation along lines
that will enable them to attract capital
and to provide the facilities needed for
the prompt and efficient handling of
the country's transportation business.
, Main Trouble Is Too Many Masters.
Not all of these interests are In ac-
cord as to the remedies that should be
adopted. There seems to be a general
agreement, however, that many of the
difficulties which confront the railroads
and which make it impossible for them
to meet the requirements of the ma
tons commerce promptly and satisfac-
torily arise from the haphazard and
often conflicting measures Of regulation
that have been adopted from time to
time by the federal government and the
forty-eight states and that what is
: needed is a well ordered, systematic
scheme of federal regulation that shall
cover the whole country and make it
possible for the railroads to provide the