The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-11-23
ACTUAL PURCHASE
MAY Be SOLUTION
OF RAIL PROBLEM
Congressional Inquiry Begins
With Federal Ownership
Issue 0vershadoW-
ing Possibility.
INVESTIGATE EVERY PHASE
Senator Newlands Announces
Intention to Consider Care
fully ACCESSIBILITY of Ac-
curing Property.
INVESTIGATE EVERY PHASE

washington, ID. c., NOV. 2l.-ln the
background of the controversy which
is going to rage hard in Washington
this winter over the railroads, n the
country's transportation problems.
looms up government ownership as a
proposed substitute for the present
system Of private ownership.
Efforts were made when the rail-
roa investigation which begins today
was ordered to exclude the subject OF
government ownership. But enator
Borah insisted on it, n it was ia
cluded in the solutio
Both Sides Prepared.
Now, it has become plain that the
government ownership phases of the
inquiry are to be OF great Importance.
Advocates of public ownership will
urge heir case and present figures to
back it up. Opponents Of public owner.
ship are already Jealous ip' the prepar-
alton of data to combat IL
The controversy over federal control
as a substitute for federal and state
control promises to be but a small
share OF the battle of opinion, and sta
tistics which will be fought out before
the joint subcommittee Of which
Senator Newlands is h head, Down
at bottom. congress wants to know
can obtain Tor the future the necessary
credit to enable them to meet the
growing needs of the country for serv-
ice. In other words, congress is going
to have to deal with the problem of
whether, under private ownership, the
railroads can be developed to meet the
expanding needs Of the public. Or. will
the needs Of the public be more effec-
lively met by government ownership?
Question Of Service.
Whether the members of Senate and
House consider the expansion of the
roads to meet the growing t~ransporta-
ton demands of the United States or
whether they consider the railroad
capital and labor controversy, they find
themselves facing the i~nterrogatory
whether he roads should be publicly
owned. The same Is true when it comes
to the consideration of rate contro-
Versies.
Then, too, there is the matter of pre-
~paredness. It will be urged before the
Joint subcommittee that the expert
ence of Germany and other European
nations now at war, that government
ownership of roads has demonstrated
it's value in a military way.
It Is we'll known now that little cap
ital is going into new construction of
railroads. Alison 1t Is we'll known that
the country has not had the sort OF
railroad service this fall that its BUSH
ness demands. The tremendous short
use u ais III l5ClL 10 Liz plooL W
that.
The first session today of the joint
congressional committee investigating
the broad subject of transportation
developed into a preliminary meeting
at which Chairman Newlands mad a
general statement of the purposes of
the investigation and practically all the
prospective witnesses to
avoid appearing first. Each wanted the
other to take the lead, because, all said,
they wanted to avoid having their
plans ~prejudiced.
The railroads were not ready to go
on and the state railway commission
ers said they preferred not to be heard
until the first week in December.
In opening the first session OF the
joint congressional committee to in-
vestigate railroad problems today Sem
the chairman, explained that the in
quiry would cover a wide field. He
said:
ut will relate to every phase of the
transportation question, the rail car
riers, the river carriers and the ocean
carriers n the perfection Of a har-
monious system of transportation en-
bracing rail, river and ocean carriers
that will meet the demands Of inter-
state as we'll as foreign commerce, and
IT will also be applied to telegraph and
telephone lines, express companies and
other puDllc UTILITIES.
To Cover Every Phase.
"It will embrace not only the subject
Of government control and regulation
Of these utilities, but also the wisdom
and feasibility of government owner
ship and the comparative worth ana
efficiency of government regulation,
and control as compared with govern
ment ownership and operation"
Senator Newlands said that a on
81 x-tlI hn $4,000 ,t-tr1 - .t.,~ 40
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 publicists, of railway
executives and workers OF commercial
bodies. farmers and manufacturers and
shippers generally"
Must Face Issue.
Referring to government ownership,
he said:
1T is a question hat must be faced.
Other nations far advanced in civiliza-
ton have adopted the system. Recent
ly, under the stress Of war, almost all
governments have taken over the rail-
ways 1t demonstrates that in condi-
lions Of great crisis when autOcratic
powers must appeal 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
eXigency or crisis. But il seems 70 be
a wise thing for the government 20
ascertain now the history Of the coun-
tries that have adopted governs 'nt
ownership and operation Of railr" Ids
and to watch the experiences OF the
European countries in this great war IN
this regard.
So amazingly keen is the bark
sense OF smell thai il can detect the