Cheyenne record., 1917-01-04

Clippers. Investors and Representa-
tives of All Branches Of Business De-
mand Unificition of System of Rail-
way ResuIation-Roads Ask Fewer
Masters.
Washington. Dec. 1S.-The Congress
sional Joint Committee on Interstate
Commerce. which has been conducting
the inquiry into government regulation
and control Of transportation. last
week decided to suspend its hearings
on the subject and adjourned. subject
to the call of the chairman. because OF
grcss. According to the resolution ere
ating the committee. 1t is required to
submit report by January Sth next
1t Is understood that before that tim"
the committee will aSk for an extern
sion of time and that the hearings will
be resumed at later date, when some
of those who already have appeared
before the committee will be question.
ed further and great many others
Will he heard. 1t Is probable. hOwcv.
er. that the hearings Will not he rc.:u:a.
ed until after adjournment Of Congress
OH March ith. II cdd.tion to regular
routine business the rI::H..,crce Com
mittecs of the two houses are charged
With the important duty of preparing"
and presenting the Legislation asked
for by President Wilson to make I'M.
possible railrond strike without pre-.
viOus investigation. This will leave
little or no time for the consideration
of the general questions OF railway
regulation.
Country Wants Something Done.
Members of Congress and others
who are Interested in the inquiry I'M
dcrtaken by the Newlands comnittc"
insist that there Is no intention Oe
abandoning 1t.
1t seems doubtful. indeed. II the
country would permit tile mntter to
he dropped If there were evidence Of n
desire OH the part of Congress to do
so. The nation wide evidences of in
terest evoked by the initint:on of the
Newlantls inquiry show that the peO-
pie of the country-shippcrS. cons,lm
ers md investors. us we'll as railway
men tllcmSelvps-are alive to the fact
that the railway situation Is highly rn-
satisfactory and that steps must he
taken without unnecessary delay to
make 1t possible for the railroads to
meet the growing needs of the nation.
From reports received here it seems
as though almost every commercial or
ganization and business interest in the
country were engaged in studying the
,,,,l.
Commerce OF the United States has
been conducting an elaborate inquiry
into various phases of the subject for
many montlls past. Many local and
state commercial bodies in every pa rt
Of the country have committees en-
gagged in study Of the problem and
have indicated n desire to come here
and present their views. National Or
SaniZatiOns of manufacturers, lumber
men, coal operators, wholesale and re-
tail dealers, have expressed through
resolutions their desire for the unticn-
ton of the system of railway rcguln-
ton. The National Industrial Traffic
League. speaking from the viewpoint
of shippers using the railways. haa
indOrsed exclusive federal regulation
providing 1t is accomplished In such n
way ns to give full protection and
prompt adjustment in matters relating
to transportation within the states.
Many Interests studying Problem.
All these organizations represent I,ri-
mnrily the shippers of the country. but
they are not the only ones who are
taking a hand III the discussion. The
investors Of the nation. through their
own associations and through commit
tees representing the savings banks and
other financial OrEanizatiUns. are pre-.
pairing to show the necessity OF improv.
Ing railroad credit and protecting the
rights Of those whose money Il invest
ed In railway securities. Finally the
railroads themselves. being vitaIIy con.
cerned in the improvement OF existing
conditions. are planning to submit their
views through their executives, oper.
ating officials and traffic experts and
to assert their Willingness to accept far.
reaching federal regulation along lines
that will enable them to attract capital
and to provide the facilities needed for
the prompt and efficient handling of
the cu,lntry's transportation business.
Main Trouble Is Too Many Masters.
Not all OF these interests are In ac-
cord as to the remedies that should be
adopted. There seems to bc n general
agreement, however. that many OF the
difficulties which confront the railroads
and which make II impossible for them
to meet the requirements of the ma
tons commerce promptly and satisfnc-
torily, arise from the hnphazard and
often conflicting measures OF regulation
that have been adopted from time to
time by the federal government and the
forty-eight states and that what IL
needed IL well ordered. systematic