Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-21
PROBE Of PROBLEMS
AFFECTING RAILROADS
BEGUN IN WASHINGTON
Senator NewIandS, Chairman
of Joint Congressional Com
mittee, Says Investigation
viii Cover Wide Field

WASHINGTON, Nov 2O.-The joint
congressional committee appointed to in
vestigate a wide range of problems re-
lating to railroads and other common
carriers, held it's first meeting today.
State railroad commissioners were to be
heard first.
At frequent sessions during the next
six weeks the committee expects to re-
ceive the views of railway officials, finan-
ciers, labor leaders, shippers, heads Of
express telephone and telegraph compa-
MES and other students OF transporta-
ton problems. The committee is to re-
port by January 8.
In opening the railroad investiga ton,
Senator Francis G. Newlands, chairman
explained that the inquiry would cover
a wide field. He said:
ut will relate to every phase Of the
transportation question, the rail car
rierS, the river carriers and the ocean
carriers, and the perfection Of a harmo-
NOUS system of transportation embrace
ing rail, river and ocean carriers that
will meet the demands of interstate as
well as foreign commerce, and it will
also be applied to telegraph and tele-
phone lines, express companies and 9TH
er public utilities.
1T will embrace not only the subject
of government control and regulation Of
these utilities, but also the wisdom and
the feasibility of government ownership
and the comparative worth and efficiency
of government regulation and control as
compared with government ownership
and operation.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
ut will not be possible for us to come
to a speedy conclusion regarding all
questions, but that conclusion will be
more quickly arrived at if we have the
sympathetic aid of practical men who
for years have been conversant with the
practical side Of the transportation
question, Of the economists and publi-
cists of railway executives and workers
of commercial bodies. farmers and man.
ufactuTers, and shippers generally"
Referring to government ownership
Mr.. Newlands said:
1T is a question that must be faced.
Other nations far advanced in civillza-
ton have adopted the system" ..
ifa--ITf we pursue the exercise and the
study OF government regulation wisely,
peristently and energetically, we may
create such a system or regulation as
will meet every requirement, both i'll
time of peace and of war, and in exigen-
cy or crisis. But 1t seems to be a wise
thing for the government to ascertain
now the history of the countries that
have adopted government ownership and
operation of railways and to watch the
experiences of the European countries in
this great war in this regard"
Strikes as a means of settling labor
disputes, Senator Newlands characteriz-
ed as ''the most barbaric and brutal OF
processes"
The question is" he asked, whether
a nation pretending to some degree of
civilization, which has eliminated the
doctrine of force from application to
controversies between man and man, and
which furnishes judicial tribunals for
the settlement of these controversies
and which is now and has been for years
endeavoring internationally to secure a
system under which the. nations of the
earth will create similar tribunals for
the adjustment of international disputes
without resort to f0rce-whether a civil
lized nation can be content to perpetuate
the existing condition of things"
HOURS AND WAGES.
Hours and wages of employees must BE
considered carefully. Senator NewlandS
declared. because. "the burdens which
constitute the. operating expenses OF
these corporations are in time transfer
red to shippers
Senator Newlands outlined the pro-
posals to reorganize the interstate COM
merce commission. and to create federal
agencies which might supplant state au-
thorities in exercising control over rail-
road financing. He said: 'The ques-
ton will be considered as to whether the
commission Is now overloaded and If so
whether this difficulty should be met by
relieving it Of many OF the supervising
and administrative duties which II now
exercises or by enlarging and subdivid-
ing II so as to enable It to meet the
strain OF IFS va rfOuS duties.