Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-01
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE BEGINS
RAILWAY inquiry
Proposed by President TO Bet
fer Condition Of Carriers.
NAY CHANGE PRESENT SYSTEM


NAY CHANGE PRESENT SYSTEM
ofTciaIo Of Eeads Prepared to Advocate
FedorAl incorporation, Supervision OF
cocuri3eo and Extension of Authority |
Of Interstate Commerce Commission.
Washington, Nov. 2O.-Ten members
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 su-
pervision of rniroadD 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
Eays. telephone and telegraph lines
nd express companies.
| The members of the committee
which will conduct this important In
vestigation are Senator Newlands Of
J
/ OF Arkansas, Underwood Of Alabama
Cummins Of Iowa and Brandegee of
Connecticut, and Representatives 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
n Il Il
as it's purpose to determine what could
be done "for bettering 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
the transportation lines the committee
has invited prominent shippers, bank
ers, representatives of commercial or
ganizations, 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. Theil
testimony is directed chiefly to oppos-
ing any enlargement of the federal
authority over commerce that would
detract from the powers now exercised
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.
Chief interest In the hearings cen
ters in the proposals that will be put
forward by representatives of the rail-
roads. for it is reported that they vii!
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 go on record in favor of fed
eral incorporation of all railroad lines
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
'
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 a part of this
plan, compulsory system of federal
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
j erly to exercise its increased powers
t 1t is also proposed that the preparation
;. and prosecution of cases against the
railroads shall be delegated to some
). other agency of the government, posi-
the commission may devote its ener
= gies to its administrative functions
n With the commission thus relieved
: of some of It's present duties and equip
ped to handle its business more prompt
. ly, the railroads will urge that the pc
riod during which the commission may
now suspend proposed increases IL
! rates be reduced from ten months tC
| 60 days. with provision for repara tioI
| to be paid to the shippers if the ad
| vance shall be declared unreasonable
| They will also ask that the commits
sion be given the power to prescribe
| minimum as well as maximum rate
so that in meeting complaints of dis
] elimination the commission may orde
the advance of a rate which it consid
ers too low.
One of the most important recon
mendations for which the railroad
will ask favorable consideration i
that the commission be specifcall,
authorized to take into account II
rate regulation the effect of rate
upon total earnings in the light of ex
penses.
While the Newlands Committee i
required, under the resolution Great
, Ing 1t. to submit a report by Januar,
next, it is not anticipated that th
Committee will have come anywher
near cOmnletinQ its Iabors then.
"
NEW DEVICE USED ON COAST
. TO STOP THEFT OF CAR!
Quite a novel scheme of motor-ca-