The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1916-12-20
PLAN TO RESUME
RAILWAY INQUIRY
AFTER MARCH nth
Postponemant Forced by Press
OF Congressional Business.
COUNTRY DEMANDS ACTION

Shippers, Investors and Representa-
tiVes of All Branches Of Business De-
nand Unifeation of System of Rail-
way Regulation-Rcads Ask Fewer
Masters.
Washington, Dec 1S-The Congress
slonal 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
EreSS. According TO the resolution ere
ating the committee if is required TO
submit a report by January Sth next.
Ii is understood that before that time
the committee will ask for an extern
sion of time and that the hearings will
De resumed at later date. when some
OF those who already have appeared
before the committee will be question
ed further and a great many others
VIII be heard. 1t is probable. howev-
or, that the hearings will not be rc&;llm-
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 inn
possible q railroad strike without pre-
Yious 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 i'll the inquiry I'M
dcrtaken by the NewlandS Committee
insist that there is 70 intention of
abandoning il.
1t seems doubtful. indeed. if the
country would permit the matter to
be dropped if there were evidence of a
desire on the part Of Congress to do
so. The nationwide evidences of in
tereSt evoked ny the initiation of the
NeWlands inquiry show that the pee
pie of the country shippers, consuK-
ers and investors, as well as railway
men themSelveS-are alive to the fact
that the railway situation is highly uA-
satisfactory and that steps must be
taken without unnecessary delay to
make it possible for the railroads to
NEE the growing needs Of the nation.
From reports received here it seems
as though almost every commercial or
gs1iZatiOn 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 fer
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 indicAtcd desire to come here
and present their views National Or
CARNATIONS nt manufacturers, number
men, coat operators, wholesale and re-
tail dealers have expressed through
resolutions their desire for the unifica-
ton of the system of railway regula-
ton. The National Industrial Traffic
League, speaking from the viewpoint
of shippers using the railways, has
Endorsed exclusive federal regulation
providing it is accomplished in such a
way as to give full protection and
prompt adjustment in matters relating
to 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 are
taking hand in the discussion. The
Investors of the nation, through their
own associations and through commit
tees representing the savings banks and
other financial organizations, are pre-
pairing to show the necessity of imprAv-
ing railroad credit and protecting the
rights Of those whose money is invest
ed In railway securities. Finally the
railroads themselves. being vitality con-
cerned in the improvement Of existing
conditions, are planning to submit their
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 capital
and to provide the facilities needed for
the prompt and efficient handling of
the country's transportation business.
Main Trouble 10 Too Many Masters.
Not all OF these interests are in &C.
cord as to the remedies that should be
adopted. There seems to be a general
agreement, however, that many of the
difficulties which confront the railroads
and which make it impossible for them
to meet the requirements of the ma
TONS commerce promptly and satisfac-
torily arise from the haphazard and
often conflicting measures Of regulation
that have been adopted from time to
time by the federal government and the
ferty-elght states and that what is
needed is a well ordered, systematic
scheme Of federal regulation that shall
cover the whole country and make it
noSSihle for the railroads to nPovido tha