The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1916-11-30
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE BEGINS
RAILWAY INQUIRY
Proposed BY President to Bet-
Ter Condition Of Carriers.
MAY CHANGE PRESENT SYSTEM

Officials Of Roads Prepared to Advocate
Federal incorporation, Supervision o
Securities and Extension Of Authorit,
Of interstate Commerce Commission.
Washington, Nov 2O.-Ten members
Of Congress, five Senators and five
members of the House Of Representa-.
tives began here today an inquiry into
the subject Of public control and su-
pervision of railroads that may lead ia
the revolutionizing of the whole scheme
OF governmental regulation Of the cOun-
try's transportation lines. incidentally
the committee is to look into the Ques-
ton of government ownership Of rail-
ways. telephone and telegraph lines
and express companies
The members Of the committee
which will conduct this important in.
vestiGation are Senator Newlands Of
Nevada. chairman; Senators Robinson
Of Arkansas, Underwood Of Alabama,
Cummins Of Iowa and Brandegee Of
Connecticut. and Representatives Ad.
amson Of Georgia. Sims Of Tennessee,
Cullop Of Indiana, Esch Of Wisconsin
and Hamilton Of Michigan. The in
Quiry was recommended by President
Wilson in his message to Congress in
December Of last year. He described
as its purpose to. determine what could
Be done "for lettering the conditions
under which the railroads are operated
and for making them more useful serv-
ants Of the country as 4 whole"
: Prominent Men - Witnesses.
In order to obtain the views Of III
interests affected BY the operations o.
the transportation lines the committee
has invited prominent shippers. bank.
err, Representatives of commercial or
ganisations. railway executives. scon6.
mists and others 70 appear before thep.
The inst to b. hsssds are railroad
compissiossR1 Of varioes states who
began TIER evidence today. Their
test1nony 3 directed chiefly to oppoe
~ any enlargenent Of the federal
authority over commerce that would
detraet from the powers now exercised
By stats bodies They WIN b follOwee
shortly b. o1acials Of railway labor
Organizations who are expected 70 reg
lister their opposition 70 the increase
Of governmental authority over wages
and conditions Of labor.
Chief interest In the hearings cen.
tiers in the proposals that win be put
forward by Representatives Of the rail-.
roads, for It IL reported that they will
advocate an extension Of federal au-
thority over rates and securities to the
practical exclusion OF state control Of
these matters. II IL understood also that
they win 20 on record in favor of fed
eral incorporation Of all railroad lines
Legislative Program Of Railroads.
From an authoritative source Il OBJ
tanned the following outline Of the leg.
islative program which the railroads
win ask the committee to consider In
its Investigation: They viii endeavor
to demonstrate to the commission that
one Of the principal defects in the pres
emit system Of railroad regulation IL
the lack Of coordination resulting from
the simultaneous and conflicting reg,l.
lation by the federal government and
BY the 48 states. They win. therefore.
lsk that entire governmental control
d the rates and practices Of Interstate
carriers. except spurely local matters,
b placed n the hands IL federal
body % hat interstate trsnsc may Be
IogDhted without reference 70 State /
1neG, leaving to the state csmmissions !
pse14letiou only ovsr local matters and /
ecal pablle utilities A Z part ef thi6s
>lan. . enpulsoey system Of fe4ep1l
= 70 b reeommen06,
lcco0panied by federal supsrviSion 4
ailFsad soock and bSal jssues.
4 reorganization a ths interstate
Somm1Gca ConMinG1na vifl ~ ankA