The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-12-29
PLAN TO RESUME
RAILWAY INQUIRY
AFTER MARCH Attn
PostpOnsmsnt Forced by Press
Of Congressional Business.
COUNTRY DEMANDS ACTION


nand Unifieation Of System Of Rail-
way Resulation--Roads Ask Fewer
Masters.
Washington, Dec. 1S-The Congress
sional Joint Committee on Interstate
Commerce, which has been conducting
the inquiry into government regulation
and control of transportation, last
week decided to suspend its hearings
on the subject and adjourned, subject
to the call of the chairman, because OF
the pressure of other work before Con
gress. According to the resolution ere
ating the committee, 1t is required to
| submit report by January 9Th next
1t is understood that before that time
the committee will ask for an exten
sion of time and that the hearings will
be resumed at later date, when some
of those who already have appeared
before the committee will be question.
ed further and great many others
will be heard 1t is probable, howev'
er, that the hearings will not be resum-
ed until after adjournment of Congress
on March 4th. In addition to regular
routine business the commerce com
mittees of the two houses are charged
with the important duty of preparing
! and presenting the legislation asked
for by President Wilson to make i'm.
possible railroad strike without pre-
vious investigation. This will leave
little or no time for the consideration
of the general questions of railway
regulation.
Country Wants Something Done.
Members OF Congress and others
who are interested In the inquiry I'M
dertaken by the Newlands Committee
insist that there Is no intention or
abandoning it.
| 1t seems doubtful, indeed, II the
country would permit the matter to
be dropped il there were evidence of a
desire on the part of Congress to dc
so. The nationwide evidences OF in
| terest evoked by the initiation Of the
| Newlands inquiry show that the PEG.
| Die of the country-shippers consum-
ers and investors, as well as railway
men themselves-are alive to the fac
that the railway situation is highly un
satisfactory and that steps must be
taken without unnecessary delay to
make 1t possible for the railroads to
meet the growing needs Of the nation
From reports received here 1t seems
as though almost every commercial or
ganization and business interest in the
country were engaged in studying the
railroad question. The Chamber OF
Commerce of the United States has
been conducting an elaborate inquiry
into various phases of the subject for
many months past. Many local and
state commercial bodies In every part
of the country have committees en-
gagged in study of the problem and
have indicated desire to come here
and present their views. National or
ganizations Of manufacturers, lumber
men, coal operators, wholesale and re-
tail dealers, have expressed through
resolutions their desire for the unitica-
tion of the system Of railway regula-
ton. The National Industrial TraffiC
League. speaking from the viewpoint
If shippers using the railways, has
Endorsed exclusive federal regulation
providing 1t is accomplished in such a
way as to give full projection and
Iprompt adjustment in matters relating
10 transportation within the states.
Many Interests Studying Problem.
All these organizations represent pri
marily the shippers of the country, but
they are not the only ones who arc
taking a hand in the discussion. Thu
investors of the nation, through theil
own associations and through commit
tees representing the savings banks and
other financial organizations, are pre-
pairing to show the necessity of improv
ing railroad credit and protecting the
rights of those whose money is invest
ed i'm railway securities Finally the
railroads themselves, being vitality con
cerned in the improvement of existing
conditions, are planning to submit theil
views through their executives, oper
ating officials and traffic experts and
to assert their willingness to accept far
reaching federal regulation along lines
that will enable them to attract capita
and to provide the facilities needed fol-
the prompt and efficient handling OF
the country's transportation business
Main Trouble lie Too Many Masters.
Not all of these interests are in ac
cord as to the remedies that should be
adopted. There seems to be a genera
agreement, however, that many of the
difficulties which confront the railroads
and which make 1t impossible for them
to meet the requirements of the ma
TONS commerce promptly and satisfac
torily arise from the haphazard ant
often conflicting measures of regulation
that have been adopted from time t.
: time by the federal government and The
forty eight states and that what /,
needed is a well ordered, systematic
scheme of federal regulation that shall
: cover the whole country and make Il
possible for the railroads to provide the
extensions and improved facilities 81
badly needed, while at the same tint