The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-25
Cannot Get Capital for Im- provements Because of
 Uncertain Politics
TOO MANY BOSSES
 TRY TO REGULATE
Recent Conference of Railroad Execu- tiyes With President Wilson Shows Trend of
 Times
Ry HOLLAND

New York, July 24.-(Special.) Jon the same day when Frank Trum bull, 1 Judge Robert S. Lovett and Alfred P. 1 Thom were in consultation with Presi- dent Wilson, the subject being the rail- way situation, the National Electrical Contractors association met in its fif-
 teenth annual convention In New York city. Neither the committee of rail- road men nor the members of this as- sociation knew in all probability that there was a subject common to both of them which was under discussion at the White House at Washington, and also at the meeting of the electrical contractors.
 The coincidence we'll illustrates the
 nation wide agitation in favor of q change in the methods of regulating the
 railroads. The agitation began two or
 three years ago. Railway executives were convinced that unless there could
 be some change it would be impracti- cable for the railway companies to ap- proach the money markets with the in-
 tent to seek fresh capital
 Various associations took up the agi- tation. First among them was the Rail-
 way Business association. This organi-
 zation through it's membership repre- sents substantially the entire country. It is not an organization of railway
 men, for none Is a member of it. It
 represents American industries which
 are occupied with manupfacturing va
 rious commodities of which the rail-
 ways stand in need
 Of course, if the railways do not
 prosper these industries suffer more
 or less, and it was from a pardonably
 selfish point of view that this associa-
 tion took up the agitation in favor of
 a change in the method of regulating
 the railways of the United States. The
 president of this association, George A. Post has devoted much of his time to
 this work and the association itself has
 been for sometime also exclusively oc-
 cupied with 1t. At the annual meet
 ing of the association in this city, 1t
 was learned that every member was in
 favor of some change or modification of the laws, state and national, relating to railway control and regulations.
 Various trade organizations took up the agitation a year or two ago. There
 has been no dissent from the opinion
 that the railways of the United States are facing a crisis, the danger of which
 can only be removed by change in the laws relating to railway control and regulation. It has been observed that none of these associations object to regulation, but all of them warmly fa- vor it. But what is desired Is regula- tion of the right kind.
 THE RAILWAY EXECUTIVES
 Two years ago, an association whose
 members are prominent railway execu-
 lives of the United States was organ
 ized solely for the purpose of carrying
 on agitation of this kind, believing that
 if the public be well informed respect
 ing the situation then opinion will be- come so strong that Congress will be compelled to heed it. The association is purely voluntary. There are no sal- aried officers excepting a secretary. The president of this association is Frank Trumbull, who is esteemed very highly for his achievements as a rail- way manager. MT. Trumbull possesses great breadth of view, as some of his addresses in the past have clearly shown, and Is classed among the busi- ness statesmen of the United States. He is now occupied with this agitation. A year or more was spent in careful study of the situation so that there | might be formulated a statement which would set forth clearly what the evils and defects of the present methods are
 
 | Mir Trumbull. with Judge Lovett of l the Union Pacific railroad, a master | mind in the railway world, who is | sometimes thought to have better understanding than any other railroad | with one or two exceptions-of what | the real relation between the railroad | and the people should be, was one of l the three men who visited President | Wilson to talk this matter over, A P. 1 Thom being the third The railway | executives have carried that agitation | so far and have had such excellent proof | that public opinion is beginning to sus- | tain them, that the moment was deeme d opportune for consultation with Presi- dent Wilson or perhaps not so much | consultation as the laying before the President of the attitude of the rail
 road executives of the United States This committee was able to inform the President that not only trade and in- dustrial organizations were warmly in favor of modification of the law, but al so various chambers of commerce, in-