The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-01-20
BRYAN AGAINST
OWNERSHIP BY
THE GOVERNMENT
Gives ROWIandS Committee His
Views on Railroad Control
COMPETITION PREFERABLE.

Federal Regulation Should Not BO Al
LEVIED TO Exclude Exercise Of State
Authority, He Centends-Thinks Rail-
road Stocks Should Represent Actual
Value and 30 Stable aa Government
Sends.
Washington, Dec. II. william ].
Bryan, who startled the country ten
years ago by advocating government
ownership Of railroads, appeared be-
fore the Newlands Joint Committee on
Interstate Commerce last week In sup
port of the claim that the states should
be allowed to retain authority over the
regulation of all transportation lines
within their borders. Mr.. Bryan ex-
planned that he had long regarded gov
ernment ownership as inevitable, but
only because Of railroad opposition to
effective regulation.
Against Government Ownership.
Personally l cannot say that l de-
sire government ownership" he ex-
planned, "because | lean to the indi-
Vidual idea rather than to the cOllec-
tive idea; that is, believe that gov
eminent ownership is desirable only
where competition is impossible"
Alfred P. Thorn, counsel to the Rail
way Executives Advisory Committee,
previously had presented before the
members Of the Newlands Committee
as one OF his reasons for urging a bet
ter balanced and more systematic reg
ulation OF railroads the argument that
this IL the only alternative to govern
ment ownership. Calling attention 20
the restrictions imposed upon the
transportation lines by conflicting state
laws and regulations, to the practical
cessation Of new construction and te the
GmpOssibility unt er existing conditions
Of securing the new capital needed for
extensions and bettermentS OF railway
facilities, he warned the Congressman
that unless they provided fair and
reasonable system Of regulation that
would enable the railroads to meet the
growing needs OF the country's busi-
ness the national government would
be compelled to take over the owner
ship Of the lines with all the evils at
tendant upon such q system.
Preservation of Competition.
Mr.. Bryan, on the other hand, holds
that the further extension Of federal
authority over the railroads would be
a step in the direction of government
ownership. He advanced the view that
the GENERALIZATION of control in the
hands of the national government
would impose too great a burden upon
the regulating body, would offer strong
temptation to railroads to interfere in
politics and would encourage the gen
eral movement toward Capitalization
of power in the federal government at
the expense of the states. He said that
he did not object to consultations Of
railroad lines so long as they did not
destroy competition, that he knew Of
no complaint against great railway
systems because of their size and that
he believed that the preservation OF
competition was the test to be applied
to all consultations.
Regulation of Securities
Mr.. Bryan d. Jared himself in favor
Of national reg lation of railway stock
and bond issues. but added that he saw
no reason why that shoul exclude the
states from acting on the same sub
ject as to state corporations. 81 would
like to sec the stock of a railroad, as
Ion" = "ivate hands, made as