The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-01-18
SAFETY DEMANDS
FEDERAL CONTROL
OF THE RAILROADS
Only Way TO Meet Emergencies
Of Nation, Says A. P. Thorn,
STATES RIGHTS PRESERVED

csts OF Public and the Roads-Com
Pulsocy 3ye,em Of Federal lneorpo'
ratien Favored.
Washington, Dec. 4.-That the inter.
ests Of national defense require that
control OF railway lines should rest
with the federal government and not
with the states was the claim nd
vanced b. Alfred +. Thorn, counsel
TO the Railway Executives Advisory
Committee, In concluding his prelim.
mary statement Of the case for the
railways before the Newlands Joint
Committee on Interstate Commerce.
ave must be eficlent'as a nation II
we are to deal successfully with our
national emergencies" said Mr.. Thorn,
'and we must appreciate that efficient
transportation Is an essential condition
Of national efficiency. II we are to
halt and weaken III transportation
systems by state lines, by the perma'
nent imposition Of burdens by unwise
regulation, we will make national ell
cheney impossible"
States Rights Would Not Suffer.
Mr.. Thorn cited many Instances In
which shippers In n state were In
~Juriously affected by selfish regula.
lions imposed on the railroads by
neighbOring states. He pointed out
hat federal regulation would be no IN
vasiOn OF the rights of the states but
would be the means OF preserving the
rights which they acquired when they
entered the Union, one OF which was
the right to the free movement of their
products across state boundaries.
What tho Railroads Advocate.
The principles which the railroads
believe should be Incorporated in any
Just system of regulation were sum.
married. by Mr.. Thorn as follows:
1. The entire power and duty Of reg
ulatlon should be In the hands Of the
national government, except as to mat.
tiers so essentially local and Incidental
that they cannot be used to interfere
with the efficiency of the service or e
Just rights Of the carriers.
Q. As one of the means Of accom-.
plishing this, n system Of compulsory
federal incorporation should be adopt
ed, into which should be brought all
railroad corporations engaged In inter
state or foreign commerce.
3. The Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion under existing laws has too much
to do and is charged with conflicting
functions, including the investigation.
prosecution and decision of cases. The
latter duties should be placed In the
hands Of a new body which might be
called the Federal Railroad Commits.
sion. Regional Commissions should
be established In different parts Of
the country to assist the Interstate
Commerce Commission by handling 10
al cases.
4. The power Of the Commission
should he extended to enable II to pre-
scribe minimum rates and not merely
maximum rates as at present. This
would increase their power to prevent
unjust dis riminations.
Jus.ice 20 Public and Roads.
;. II should he made the duty of the
interstate Commerce Commission, IN
the exercise of its powers to fix rea
sonable rates, to so adjust these rates
that they shall be just ut once to the
public and to the carriers. To this end
the Commission, In determining rates,
should consider the necessity of main
tanning ciicieLt transportation and ex.
tensions OF facilities, the relation Of
expenses to rates and the rights Of
shippers, stockholders ant creditors of
the roads.
o. The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion should be invested with the pow
err to fix the rates for carrying mails.
I. The federal government should
have exclusive power to supervise the
issue OF stocks and bonds by railroad
carriers engaged In interstate and for.
eign commerce.
S. The law should recognize the es.
sential difference between things which
restrain trade in the case Of ordinary
mercantile concerns and those which
restrain trade In the case Of common
carriers. The question Of competition
Is not the only fair criterion.
8. The law should expressly provide
for the meeting and agreement of traf.
fc OF other officers Of railroads in re-
spect Of rates or practices. This
should, however, be safeguarded by
requiring the agreements to be filed
with the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion and 20 be subject to be disapprov.
cd by II.
my legal proposition" Mr.. Thorn
sad, rs that the Constitution as II
now is gives full authority to Congress
to regulate the inatrumentalities Of In.
terstate commerce In all their parts
II the power Of regulation is to reach
the public requirements, It must be co.
extensive with the instrumentalities OF
commerce."
Mr.. Thorn explained that the roads
are not asking either Of the Committee
or Of Congress any increase in revc.
nues, but that they are merely asking
the perfection Of a system which will
be responsible to any need that may
Arise.
Stony Cities.
In Jaffa and Jerusalem, as in
Malta, everything is of stone. Even