Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-29
PLAN TO RESUME
RAILWAY INQUIRY
AFTER MARCH 4TH
POstpOnem8nt Forced by Press
of Congressional Business.

vi bUllgIHSSlUlldI buSlIl6SS.
COUNTRY DEMANDS ACTION
Shippers, Investors and Representa-
tives of All Branches of Business De-
mand Unification of System of Rail-
way ReguIation-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 Gre
Rting the committee, it is required to
submit a report by January Sth next.
IL 40 1olOOu LIdI DC1OIC OuALL
the committee will ask for an exten-
sion of time and that the hearings VIII
be resumed at a later date, when some
of those who already have: appeared
before the committee will be question
ed further and a great many others
will be heard It is probab ble,9 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 a 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 un
/ insist that there is no intention OF
abandoning it.
1t seems doubtful, indeed, If the
country would permit the matter tc
be dropped If there were evidence of &
desire on the part Of Congress to dt
so. The nationwide evidences of in
terest evoked by the initiation of the
Newlands inquiry show that the peo
pie of the country-shippers, consum
efs and investors, as we'll as railway
men themselves-are alive to the fac
that the railway situation is highly un
| satisfactory and that steps must b,
taken without unnecessary delay t,
make it possible for the railroads Il
meet the growing needs of the nation.
From reports received here it SEEM
as though almost every commercial or
ganization and business interest in tn
country were engaged in studying tn
railroad question. The Chamber o
Commerce Of the United States ha
been conducting an elaborate inQuir,
into various phases of the subject 70
many months past Many local an(
state commercial bodies in every par
of the country have committees en-
gagged In study of the problem an,
have indicated a desire to come her
and present their views. National OF
ganizations of manufacturers, lumber
men, coal operators, wholesale and re
tail dealers, have expressed throug
resolutions their desire for the unifics
ton of the system Of railway regula
ton. The National Industrial Trafti
League, speaking from the viewpoin
of shippers using the railways, ha
indorsed exclusive federal regulat1o
) providing it is accomplished in such
way as to give full protection an
prompt adjustment in matters relat1n
to transportation within the states.
Many Interests Studying Problem.
| All these organizations represent pr
marily the shippers of the country, bu
they are not the only ones who ar
taking a hand in the discussion. Tn
investors of the nation, through thei
own associations and through commit
tees representing the savings banks an
, !, other financial organizations, are pre-
pairing to show the necessity Of improN
ing railroad credit and protecting th
rights Of those whose money is inves
ed in railway securities. Finally th
railroads themselves, being vitally COZ
cerned in the improvement Of eXiStln
conditions, are planning to submit thei
views through their executives, Opel
ating officials and traffic experts an
to assert their willingness to accept fal
reaching federal regulation along line
that will enable them to attract capita
and to provide the facilities needed fC
the prompt and efficient handling {
the countrys transportation business.
Main Trouble Is Too Many Masters
Not all of these interests are in a,
cord as to the remedies that should b
adopted. There seems to be a geners
| agreement, however, that many of til
) difficulties which confront the railroad
and which make it impossible for thel
: to meet the requirements of the n;
tion's commerce promptly and satisfa,
torily arise from the haphazard an
often conflicting measures of regulatio
that have been adopted from time I
time by the federal government and tt
forty-eight states and that what
needed is Il well ordered, systenat
, scheme of federal regulation that sha
! cover the whole country and make
: possible for the railroads to provide tt
extensions and improved facilities
BADLY needed, while at the same tin
Protecting fully the public Interests.