Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-18
us. TREND TOWARD
OWNING UTILITIES
Special Inquiry Body So Ad-
vises National Railway
Commissioners
MILITARY DEMANDS BASIS
WASHINGTON, oct. IS.

WASHINGTON, Oct, IL.
The United states is moving toward
complete public ownership and operation
OF public utilities. especially railroads.
telephones and telegraphs," according to
special investigating committees report
TO the National Association Of Railway
Commissioners today
Urgent military considerations were
given as reasons for taking over the rail-
roads
We are not developing our railway sys-
TENS to the nations best advantage" said
the report. The solution of our terminal
problems wait. and not even the necessary
rolling stock is being provided Additional
billions of capital are necessary. Since regu.
lation cannot permit the increase of rates
to this point, the necessary funds must
come from investors or the Government"
President Ripley, Of the Santa Fe, was
quoted In the report as saying Government
ownership is high probability. The way
matters are going the Government must
step In and take charge unless, meanwhile,
some other means Of saving the railroads
is found"
PROBLEM is DIFFICULT
II is pointed out that the necessity Of
welding the communication systems OF the
| nation into a unit brought about by the
war viii hasten Government ownership, but
that the problems must receive the most
careful study. Merely because Government
ownership is successful In foreign countries
must not be taken final proof of success
| here, says the report The American prob
lem Is unique and must be treated specially.
comprehensive national railway policy
is In the making, the report says. Whether
the railroads are TO remain in private
/ nr moi nf Hnll of nagl
money must be invested in them to take
| care of the neglected terminal facilities
| and supply additional equipment needed
| to prevent such damaging car shortages
| as have occurred in the last two years
| World railway capitalization now amounts
| to $56,350, 900 900 and the share Of the
| United States is $4,000, ,0OO. 600 As argu-
| ments in favor of public ownership, the
| utter collapse Of privately owned lines In
| Russia and the military advantages con
veyed by the Imperial German railways
| and the Austrian lines since they were
| seized are instances
Absolute control of the issue of all pub
lie utility securities, including those OF
railways, was recommended by another re
| port laid before the association. High rates
| and bad management go with overcapitali
| zatiou. 1t was stated. The committee RED
| ommends legislation to provide CO-opera
tion between the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and the state public utility regu
lating bodies in supervision of issues o
utility securities.
URGE TELEPHONE MONOPOLY
The merger of small Independent tele
phone companies into great concerns
monOpolizing the service of extensive areas
| was advocated in a third report II was
stated that improved service and better
rates follow such combinations. Agitation
for carfares below and above the tive-cen
! unit was discussed and II was declared tina
with the Introduction of coins of denomna
/ tions between the penny and the nlcke
| and between the nickel and the dime re
vision of street car fares would be desir
able, so that the passenger would pay
lower rate for short ride and a hghe
one for longer one. The report observed
that increases In street car fares Away
was accompanied by a falling off In service
The inroads, the jitney and private auto
| mobile hacked" on the streets have mad
In street-car revenues IL enormous, amount
ing to Is per cent In some cities. the asso
citation was told in another special report
| The unrestricted operation of jitneys wal
| frowned upon. They have, with privately
| owned automobiles, sounded the knell o.
further street-Car expansion, the repor
| stated Women must be used on street
car crews in the near future to release th'
men now employed for the bearing of arms
according to the report.
Too little attention has been paid to thu
quality of water and gas given by public
utilities in cities. further report said
Water tests should be made and thu
standard raised to safeguard civic health.
Standards should be established for
content Of heat units for every cubic foo
of gas sold the public, and the price should
be in proportion to the heat unit content
the report said 1t excepted companie
equipped to extract toluol and other prop
critics valuable in the manufacture Of muni
tions for the period of the war