The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1916-12-14
THE RAILROAD QUESTION:

ASoAuShs w AAoOh Ia iAC AASoc16O w
Congress on December Z of last year,
suggested the wisdom Of taking a
new assessment" of the railroads and
their relations to the public. AS a
result, the Newlands' Committee,
made up from members of both hous-
es of Congress, was created.
Alfred P. Thorn, who made the
opening statement to the Newlands
Joint Committee on Interstate Com
merce at the beginning Of its sessions
in prefacing an analysis of the condi-
tions that are hampering railroad de-
velopment admitted on behalf Of the
railroads that the principle of public
regulation is recognized as per-
manent of Government. He said that
public regulation of railroads became
q fact twenty-nine years age and that
The fight against the railroads since
then has proceeded to large degree
| along the lines of "a system of cor
rection." In comparing the super
vision of banks and railroads, he as
| serted that the Governments treat
ment of the banks was In the nature
Of constructive program; that the
supervision of railroads was part Of
a destructive program"
For a dozen years "The Railroad
Question" has been constantly before
the American people. The difficulty
has been that as soon as one phase
of the problem began to be under
stood by the part of the people that
might be described as "our thought
full citizenship" some violent twist
of conditions has completely changed
the entire situation, and 1.-The rail-
road question" suddenly presented it.
self into new form. LaFollette and
Cummins fought the OLD regime that
manipulated the railroads.. They
early realized that constructive leg
islation to properly deal with the
great railroad question" should be
enacted by the federal government:
and both of them became ardent ad-
vocates of regulation by the national
government, acknowledging the futi-
lity of forty-six or forty-eight states
attempting to govern interstate COM
merce.
| Congress has now assumed control
of the railroad question and promises
to rectify the indiscriminate legisla-
tion fostered at the instance of poll
ticians who have ridden into public
Office through the preJudices they
created against public service cor
porations. There has been a merry
havoc of time in railroad affairs,
running over the course of a num-
Der of years. Reorganization plans,
receiverships and bankruptcy have
menaced the county's great transpor-
tation interests.
Congressman Adams, vice chair
man of the Joint Committee of Con-
gress, which is charged with investi-
eating the entire railroad problem,
has declared that the railways must
be protected" Mr.. Adamson is
author of the eight-hour law, and this
piece of government policy may fall
within the scope of the investigation
Senator Cummins, who is also on the
Committee, is expectant Of real re-
\ suits at last for the forms he has so
long advocated. Congressman Esch,
early identified with the Wisconsin
movement, is a member of the COM
mittee. Senator Newlands, one Of
the earliest advocates of Federal in
corporation of railroad companies, is
chairman. Other members are Sena-
tors Underwood, of Alabama; Robin
son of Arkansas; Brandegee, Of Con-
necticut; and Representatives Sims,
of Tennessee; Sullop, of Indiana; and
Hamilton of Michigan.
Stripped of "whereases" and "re-
solves" the entire situation brings it.
self down to the point where the gov
ernment is convinced that the rail-
roads have suffered enough from hap
hazard legislation, and the opinion
is general that the railroads at this
time, are as rule, efficiently and
honestly managed. AT any rate, they
represent such an enormous property
| uo1ua and ara cO vital to tho ipd,Ic-
trial and social existence Of the coun-
try, as to demand that the RESPONSE
| hilitu To tho nuhlin-repar rdlncs of