The Hayti herald., 1916-11-30
CONGRESSIONAL - =
COMMITTEE BEGINS
RAILWAY 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

Securities and Extension Of Authority
Of Interstate Comn,eree Commission.
Washington. Nov. 2O.-1cn members
Of Congress. i've Senators and tive
members of the House OF Representa-
tivcs began here today an inquiry into
the subject Of public control and sn
rcrvision OF railroads that uay lead to-
the revolrtionizing of the whole schcnle
or governmental regulation OF the conn
try's transportation lines. incidental,
the committee Is to look int" the CUES
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
vestication are Senator Newland~ oi
.>cvada. chairman: Senators Robinson
OF Arkansas Underwood Of Alabama,
Cnmmins of Iowa and R'mndccCc OF
Connecticut. and Kepresenl ativcs Ad.
amson of Georgia sims Of Tennessee.
CulloI, Of Indiana. Esch ~ Wisconsin,
an! Hamilton Of Michigan. Th" in
u,liry was recommended by PreSi'lCri
Wilson in his message to Congress in
December "f las, year fIe dos ,ii"r'
as its purpose to determine " ha' 'pui',
be done 'for hcttcring the conditions
under which the railroads are "perH'c.i
nnd for making them more useful scrv.
ants of the country as IA whole"
Prominent Men a. Witnesses.
In order to obtain the views nf all
interests affected by the operations Of
the transportation lines the committee
has invited prominent shippers. bank
ers. representatives of commercial Oi'
ganizations railway executives. eronn
mists and others to appear hcfor" them
The first TO be heard are railron !
commissioners of various states wh"
began their evidence today. Thcil
testimony is dire ted chiefly to orpos
ing any enlargement of the federal
authority over commerce that would
dctract from the powers now exercised
by state bodies They will i've followed
shortly hy officials Of railway labor
organizations who are expected to reg
lister their opposition to the Increase
Of governmental ar.hority over wages
and conditions of labor.
Chief interest In the hearings cen
terS in the proposals that will he 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 1t is understood also that
they will 90 on record .n favor of fed
eral incorporation Of all railroad lines
Legislative Program Of Railroads.
From an authoritative source Is oh
tanned the following outline Of the leg
iSlntive program which the railroads
will ask the committee to cons der 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 "f coordination re~niting from
the simultaneous and conflicting regu.
lation by the federal government and
by the ~ states They will. therefore,
ask thar entire governmental control
OF the rates and practices of interstate
carriers, except purely local matters,
] be placed N the hands of a federal
| body go that Interstate traffic may he
| regulated without reference to state
| lines 'cnvin" 10 the state COMMISSIONS
| Jurisdiction only over local matters and
local public Mt 'litiCs As II part of this
| plan. Il compulsory system of federal
| incnrpornl ion is I" he recommended
| accompanied by fedora S''ncrviS on ~
railr' ad stock au' bond iSyu"s
| \ rc ruaui"ut rn ~ the Interstate
| Corr c"cc Commission will b.. nS';p0
| In o." 'rv tnr rpnl'e' re commission urnp
crly Ia cyc"ciSr is Increased rnw"r'
II * also prurnSed thai the nr"ra 'ntin'
I iui prrSc n'iun of asses a;nlSi th
! "aiirua Is shall bc delegated fo Sou
prhrr aeencr Of the gnvelmr,rnt posi-
| bly the perrrtmrrt of Justice. 50 thai
,he commission nrrv devote It's ener
'ieS 70 It's admins rattle f"nciions
With the cpmmSsion thus relieved
>f some of irs present duties and eGlip
ped % hant'e its hn>tnoss more prompt
~ the railronds win urge that The ne
Rod dnrlny which he commission ma,
now suspend nrn'oSed increases IN
rates he reduced from ten months Il
10 days wiIh provision for reraratiOr
to he paid tr tn shippers If the ad
van Q shall ie de 'a"ed unreasonable.