The Washington herald., 1917-12-06

Railway Board Dlsagrees.
Although the. Railway War Boar
was still suffering from shell shock
last night, it was clear that it wa
stripping for the hardest kind of 4
fight. and will fight against the radi
cal course suggested by the commits
sion to the bitter end.
1t is believed that President viii
son will support the I. c. C. anc
override the protests of the railroads
] He will point out to them the wal
needs of the nation; also that "ade-
quate return" on their property Is tc
be guaranteed by the nation while
it remains under government con-
troll.
Alternate courses of action are
recommended by the Interstate Com
merce Commission to Congress-one
providing for fiat seizure and opera
ton Of the roads, the other that the
railroads be allowed to operate them
selves as one vast unit, from which
the obstacles of antitrust Iegisla-
ton shall have been removed by Con-
gress during the war"
suspends sherman Law.
Both these plans take into con-
alteration the financial needs Of the
great systems. Under the first
scheme, not only are the anti-pooI-
ing provisions supended, but recon-
mendation. is made that the govern
ment advance loans. 1t Is also rec
omended that regulation of securi-
ties should be vested in some ap-
propriate body. Under the second
suggestion-the president operat-
ing the roads-the Commission rec
omends a guarantee to the carriers
for use of the property, with the
stipulation that any improvements
made by the President, would be
paid for by the carrier when the
property was returned to it after
the war.
The report was signed by Henry
c. Hall, chairman. and a majority
of the members of the commission.
However. a second report. made by
Commissioner c. c. ,McChord. differ
ed entirely. Commissioner McChord
came out fatty for government su-
pervision. He took the position
that no matter how willing the
might be to operate them
selves as a unit, still, they never
would be able to submerge their in
and that petty dis
putes and little chickering's would
endanger the great national scheme.
Our experience with railroad COM
mittees during the past year makes me
believe that no voluntary committee
haf H.
he said. Zone of the prin-
cipal reasons is that the element OF
the traffic influence. is
4 persistent factor in postponing and
measures that seek to dlsre-
gard individual rights in the effort to
secure transportation results as
whole. There runs also in the activ-
ties Of the committees the self-evident
purpose to do whatever appears to be
necessary to prevent the government
al authority from acting"
President to Decide.
Congressman are somewhat reIuc- !
ant to discuss the Presidents prob |
lble action. Representative Thetus !
'ims, of Tennessee, who ranks next to |
chairman Adamson, of the Interstate
md Foreign Commerce Committee of |
he House, said:
IF the President, as commander-in-
hief of the army and navy, thinks
advisable to unity the railroads un-
er their direction with government
equation shall help the plan along.
IN the other hand, II he wants to
perate the railroads himself, as COM
/ shall vote for that
lan II No
ay. Personally ] think greater ef-
cheney and great economy will be had
trough full and direct control
'dged with the President for the war
eriod,"
The Newlands committee will meet
'ecemoer 10 and may take up the re-
DIT from the commission. 1t may
anne some action based. on the re-
ort and on its own Investigations.
Ut members last might said they
lousht 1t more. likely they would
alt Tor the Presidents special mes 7
Ige on railroads.
There was an idea in Washington
ist night among railroad leaders
lat the President will give the roads
lotner chance before taking drastic
elton. Alfred P. Thorn, general
'unsei Tor the railway executives.
Id he believed the report meant q
moving the barriers of the anti
ust laws and allowing the systems I
operate themselves as a unit 7
'oI course, I do not know what
PRESIDENT thinks" said Mr.. Tbom. ,
'ut am inclined to believe that I
vernment control will not be ex- t
cised at present. I believe instead Il
at Congress will sweep away the b
stacies now in the way of sue o
ssful operation by the roads" a
HandIcaps Of Roads.
The majority report of the COM v
ssion says the legal restrictions
re designed in peace times to pro- a
Z the shipper and not to protect d
nation in time OF war. The point Il
made that while the roads are c,
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