Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-11-24
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE BEGINS
AILWAY INQUIRY
Proposed by President to Bet
ter Condition Of Carriers.
MAY CHANGE PRESENT SYSTEM
Officials of Roads Prepared to Advocate
Federal Incorporation, Supervision Of
Securities and Extension Of Authority
of Interstate Commerce Commission.

washington, NOV. ZU.-Ieu ueuueIS
| Of Congress, five Senators and five
members of the House of Representa-
| tives, began here today an inquiry into
| the subject Of public control and SUI
| pervision of railroads that may lead to
| the revolutionizing of the whole scheme
| of governmental regulation of the coun-
| try's transportation lines. incidentally
| the committee is to look into the ques-
! ton of government ownership of rail-
ways, telephone and telegraph lines
and express companies.
The members Of the committee
| which will conduct this important in
yestigation are Senator Newlands of
| Nevada, chairman; Senators Robinson
/ of Arkansas. Underwood of Alabama,
/ Cummins of Iowa and Brandegee Of
/ Connecticut. and Representative Ad-
| amson of Georgia, Sims of Tennessee,
/ Cullop of Indiana, Esch Of Wisconsin
/ and Hamilton of Michigan. The in
/ quiry was recommended by President
/ Wilson in his message to Congress i'll
| December of last year. He described
| as its purpose to determine what could
/ be done "for lettering the conditions
| under which the railroads are operated
/ and for making them more useful serv-
ants Of the country as whole"
Prominent Men as Witnesses.
/ In order to obtain the views of all
/ interests affected by the operations Of
i the transportation lines the committee
| has invited prominent shippers, bank
/ ers, representatives of commercial Or
| CARNATIONS, railway executives, econo-
mists and others to appear before them.
The first to be heard are railroad
/ commissioners Of various states who
| began their evidence today. Their
| testimony is directed chiefly to oppos-
ing any enlargement of the federal
| authority over commerce that would
| by state bodies They will be followed
| shortly by officials Of railway labor
| organizations who are expected to reg
| lister their opposition to the increase
Of governmental authority over wages
| and conditions of labor
4
ters in the proposals that will be put
| forward by representatives of the rail-
| roads, for it is reported that they will
| advocate an extension Of federal au-
| thority over rates and securities to the
| practical exclusion of state control of
these matters. It is understood also that
they will go on record in favor of fed
l - ali
Legislative Program of Railroads.
From an authoritative source is OBJ
/ tanned the following outline of the leg
| islative program which the railroads
/ will ask the committee to consider in
| its investigation: They will endeavor
| to demonstrate to the commission that
one Of the principal defects in the pres
| ent system of railroad regulation is
/ the. lack of coordination resulting from
/! the simultaneous and conflicting regu-
! lation by the federal government and
| by the 4S states. They will, therefore,
| ask that entire governmental control
/ of the rates and practices of interstate
carriers, except purely local matters
/ be placed in the hands Of a federal
/ body so that interstate traffic may be
| regulated without reference to state
| lines, leaving to the state commissions
| Jurisdiction only over local matters and
| local public utilities. AS part of this
/ plan, compulsory system of federal
4 Incorporation is to be recommended,
/ accompanied by federal supervision of
| railroad stock and bond issues.
| A reorganization of the Interstate
| Commerce Commission will be asked,
/ in order to enable the commission prop
| erly to exercise It's increased powers.
/ It is also proposed that the preparation
and prosecution of cases against the
railroads shall be delegated to some
other agency of the government, posi-
bly, the Department of Justice, so that
the commission may devote it's ener-
| gies to it's administrative functions
With the commission thus relieved
of some of it's present duties and equip
ped to handle its business more prompt
| ", the railroads will urge that the pc
Rod during which the commission may
now suspend proposed increases in
rates be reduced from ten months to
60 days, with provision for reparation
to be paid to the shippers if the adj
vance shall be declared unreasonable.
| They will also ask that the commits
sion be given the power to prescribe
/ minimum as well as maximum rates
so that in meeting complaints Of dis
elimination the commission may order
| the advance of rate which it consid-
| ers too low.
One Of the most important recon-
nrendations for which the railroads
will ask favorable consideration Is
| that the commission be specifically
authorized to take into account in
rate regulation the effect of rates
upon total earnings in the light of ex-
! peases.
! While the Newlands Committee is
| required, under the resolution Great
| ing it, to submit report by January
| 2 next, it is not anticipated that the
Committee will have come anywhere
! near completing its labOrS then.