McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-01-12
SAFETY DEMANDS
Federal CONTROL
OF The RAILROADS
Only Way 10 Meet Emergencies
Of ilatloa, Says A. P. ThOnl.
STATES RIGHTS PRESERVED


Principles Which Railways Hold Should
Govern Regulatory System In Inter-
ests OF Public and the Roads-Com-
pulsorY System of Federal lncorpo.
ration 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 ad.
ganccd by Alfred p Thom counsel
to the Railway Executives Advisory
Committee, in concluding his prellm-
Hinary statement of the case for The
railways before the Newlands Joint
Committee on Interstate Commerce.
''We must be efficient as nation if
we are to deal successfully with our
national emergencies" said Mr.. Thom
"and we must appreciate that efficient
transportation is an essential condition
of national efficiency, If we are to
halt and weaken our. transportation
systems by state lines, by the perma-
nent imposition of burdens by .unwise
regulation, we will make national eff
cheney impossible"
States Rights Would Not Suffer.
MIR. Thorn cited many instances in
| which cbippnrs IN am o+ofa ,uora in
! juriously affected by selfish regula-
tions imposed on the railroads by
neighboring states He pointed out
that 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 the 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:
l. The entire power and duty of reg
ulation should be in the hands of the
national government, except as to mat
ters so essentially local and incidental
that they cannot be used to interfere
with the efficiency OF the service or the
| just rights Of the carriers.
3. As one Of the means of accom-
plishing this, a 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 Commis-
sion under existing laws has too much
40 do and Is charged with conflicting
functions, including the investigation,
| prosecution and decision of cases. The
latter duties should be paced in the
hands Of new body which might be
called the Federal Railroad Commits
sion Regional Commissions should
! be established In different parts of
the cmntry to assist the Interstate
Commerce Commission by handling To-
cal cases
A. The power of the Commission
should be extended to enable it to pre-
scribe minimum rates and not merely
maximum rates as at present. This
would increase their power to prevent
unjust determinations.
Justice 20 Public and Roads.
g. 1t should be made tie 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 efficient transportation and ex-
tensions of facilities, the relation OF
expenses to rates and the rights of
shippers, stockholders and creditors of
| the roads.
6. The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion should be invested with the pow.
er to fix the rates for carrying mails
Z. The federal government should
have exclusive power TO supervise the
issue of stocks and bonds BY railroad
carriers engaged in interstatesand for
eign commerce.
S. The law should recognize the es-
sential difference between things which
restrain trade in the case. OF OF nary
mercantile concerns and those which
restrain trade in the case OF common
carriers. The question Of competition
is not the only fair criterion
o. The law should expressly provide
for the meeting and agreement of traf-
fic or other officers of railroads in re-
spect of rates or practices. This
should, however, be safeguarded by
requiring the agreements to be fled
with the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and to be subject to be disapprov-
ed by it
MY legal proposition" Mr.. Thorn
! said, SIS that the Constitution as It
now is gives full authority to Congress
+ 10 regulate. the instrumentalities of in
/ terstate commerce in all their parts.
If 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 reye-
nues, but that they are merely asking
/ the perfection Of a system which viii
lie responsible to any need that may
/ bise.