Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-20
Questions Which Congress
sional Investigators viii
| axe Up Go to Heart of
transportation roblem.

WASHINiToN. November le.-Con-
sres:!ona! Investigation into the bronG
question Of government rcru.at.on ,ud
control Of railroads and otner common
curriers'. suggested hy President Mi
son IL his opening address 10 tn. las,
session. begins here to-,noiruw before
joint committc. Of Senators and
Representatives.
Although III" investigation was au-
thorizcd before tho threatened strik.
hy the four great hrothcrhoods, ti.
Investigation viii GO into the .ucs-
ions which came up at that time. such
as regulation OF WAGES hy t!lc lrtcr-
state Commerce Commission and l.,;is-
!ation 10 prevent a similar situation.
Questions which the investigators
viii take up 20 20 the heart of tn.
transportation problem. and tn" inquiry
probably vii! have = poicu; Influence
in Congress on the subject oi Govern
ment and ownership.
~ the hearings ii is expected tina,
all tho leading railroads. telegraph.
telephone anl wireless concerns. and
express companies. az we'll as .cono-
mists leaders OF labor and agriculture.
shippers and bankers. will b. heard
The committee j. required TO report
TO Congress by january 5, and an Of
fort may be made to put through !cviS-
lation before tho session ends on March
4. after which the administration viii
not have its present majority in the
House.
The resolution for the investigation
came At the conclusion Of many months
Of effort on thc part Of railroads and
others interested in questions affcctin,;
them. 20 have a comprc h cnsivc inquiry
Into all phases OF government control
LAST DECEMBER SUGGESTED
COMMISSION or INQUIRY
President Wilson, in his address 10
Congress in December. 1915. called at
tention TO the need in this language:
The transportation problem is an
exceedingly serious and pressing one
III this country. There has from tim,.
TO time Of late bcen reason to fear that
our railroads would not much longer
ne ab!e 10 cope with it successfully as
ut present equipped and co-ordnat.d.
suggest that ii would be wise To pro-
VIDE Tor n commission OF inquiry u
ascertain 10y "a thorough canvass of the
whole question whether our laws as at
present framed and administered are
as scrNiceablc as they might hc in
the solution of the problem.
1T is obviously a problem that lies
At the very foundation OF our efficiency
as 4 people. such an inquiry o,gh.
I" draw out every circumstance and
opiaion worth conaidcriue. and we
need 10 know all sides OF the matter if
We mean TO do anything in the field .:
Federal legislation. No one. am sure.
would wish to take amy backward stcp.
The regulation of the railways or tn.
country by Federal commission has
had admirable results aud has fully
justified the hopes and expectations OF
those by whom tho policy al regula-
tion was originally proposed. The
question is not what should We undo?
1t Is whether there is anything else
we can do that would supply us with
effective means. in the very process
Of regulation, for lettering the conii-
tionS under which the railroads are
operated, and for making them more
useful servants of the country ms Il
whole. II seems 10 me that ii might
be tho part OF wisdom, therefore, before
further legislation in tins field Is at
tempted. To look at the whole problem
of coordination and efficiency in the
full light of fresh assessment OF cir
cumstanccs and opinion as 81 guide 10
dealing with III" several parts Of it
Hf:SOI.ITION ADOPTED