Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-12-12
new POLICY NEEDED
IN COVE R N M { Mt
Rail. WAY CONTROL
R0Ipfuln0SS andEncOurag0mHnt
Urged by Alfred P. Thorn.
CREDIT MUST Be IMPROVED
Increase of Transportation Facilities
Necessary to Secure Relief From
High Cost of Living May Thus Be
Provided For by the Railroads.

necessary TO secure hellef from
High Cost of Living May Thus Be
Provided For by the Railroads.
Washington, Nov. ga new policy
Of government railroad regulation,
based on constructive principles of
helpfulness and encouragement instead
Of upon principles of repression and
punishment, was urged by Alfred z.
Thorn, counsel for the Railway Execu-
lives Advisory Committee, the first
witness on behalf Of the railroads be-
fore the Newlands Joint Committee on
Interstate Commerce, which has instl-
tuted general inquiry into the prob
lens of railroad regulation.
1T is proposed by the joint resolu
ton of Congress" said Mr.. Thorn, "to
go into a comprehensive study of the
whole subject OF transportation, to
make new assessment, after 20 years
of experiment, of It's history, its pres
ent conditions and its future needs
The railroads accept the view that reg
ulation Is permanent and enduring
part of government in America and
that the first duty Of the carriers is to
the public. That duty is to afford
reasonable facilities on reasonable
terms and at reasonable rates, and this
must be done before any private inter
ests can be considered
Certainty, Safety and sufficiency.
Mr. Thorn contended that the real In.
terest of the public is in being assured
OF certainty, safety and sufiiciency Of
transportation facilities, rather than In
rates. The first consideration of the
public is to obtain transportation facili
ties What the cost is, is in reality a
second consideration, he said.
Mr.. Thorn proposed an increase of
transportation facilities as a method
of securing relief from the high cost Of
living. "There have been less than 1000
miles of new railroad constructed in
the United States during the past year"
he said, LESS than in any year since
1913, except the period of the Civil
War, and yet the cost of living is daily
advancing owing to a shortage of sup
plies which might be remedied by Sc
curing access to new areas of produc-
ton.
Credit Must Be Improved.
"'This leads to the consideration as to
whether railroad credit is as good as
the public interest requires. 1t is i'm
possible for railroads to earn enough
to supply the necessary new facilities
from current revenue. They must be
In
not be coerced, but must be attracted u
Among the conditions affecting rail.
road credit which deter investors he
mentioned the following:
First, Railroad revenues are not
controlled by investors. but are fixed
and limited by governmental authority
and not by one but by several govern
mental authorities, which do not recog-
nize responsibility for assured results
to investors and are uncoordinated.
"Second, Railroads cannot control
and the government cannot and does
not limit the expense account.
Third, The present system of regu'
lation is based on a policy of regulation
and correction and not on a policy OF
helpfulness and encouragement.
Fourth, The outstanding obligations
of the railroads have already exceeded
the financial rule of safety and involve
a disproportionate amount of obliga-
lions bearing fixed charges.
Fifth, The investor must accept a
subordinate obligation or security with
no assurance Of surplus OF earnings
to support 1t.
"Sixth, Other competitive lines OF in
vestment present superior attractions.
Seventh, The railroad business is
largely controlled by political instead
of business considerations.
Look Forward, Not Back.
I'VE may debate about what has
caused the present conditions" said
Mr.. Thorn, but we cannot debate about
what the people need The President
has taken the view that we must look
forward in this matter and make "A
fresh assessment of circumstances in
order to deal helpfully and intelligent
ly with the problem. Abuses are
no more prevalent in the railroad bust
ness today than in any other business
humanely conducted. The great ques-
tion now is whether the existing sys-
tenn of regulation gives the public re-
liable assurance of sufficient present
and future railroad facilities.
"Those who oppose any change must
make their appeal on the ground that
the present systems assure the public
of the continued adequacy of trans
portation facilities. II they do not, no
argument based on the desirability of
the present dual system of regulation
will be accepted by public judgment.
The question of states rights is not
involved. If the regulation Of transpor-
tation facilities privately owned should
fail government ownership must fol-
low. and then all power Of the states
over the railroads would disappear
LET us debate this question, then,