Evening star., 1917-01-14
RATED AS BENEFIT
TO THE RAILROADS
Congress Is Assailed for Vot-
inq to Extend the New
lands Investigation.
CHARGES MADE IN HOUSE

CHARGES MADE IN HOUSE
Having applied the oxygen to the
Aytng Newlands Investigation OF the
railroads of the country. giving 1t an
other year to live. Congress Is now
being assailed within and without by
persons who claim that the very act OF
extending the present involved IN
yes.Ization is favorable to the rail-
roads. They make this charge on the
theory that the railroads will be able
to fiji the air with the murk and ros
of long -winded experts. so that the
issue will be clouded. They go so far
as to predict tina. the Presidents rail-
road legislation will be delayed oy the
lands investigation. This, they claim.
will develop because members VIII say
they are not ready to vote TINS way
or that-and that they must await the
report of the Newlands investigating
committee.
Claim May Be Well Founded.
Their. NAV be more or less truth to this
claim Bearing out the thought in this
statement it can be learned from many
members of Congress that Alfred +.
Thom. general counsel for the advisory
committee of railway executives. has said
10 them that he wanted nothing better
than TO see continuation OF tne NE OF
the NewIands committee. Representative
lenroot of Wisconsin made the statement
on the floor of the House that repre-
eentztives Of the railroads have been Dusy
with the members Of the House" and that
n was to the interest Of the railroads 10
keep the Newlands committee alive.
The resolution empowering the Joint
committee to proceed upon Its re-
researches appropriates $4,000 for ex-
searches appropriates $4,000 for ex-
tee into a field of investigation which
probably would take the interstate
commerce commission twenty years to
complete. Part of the research. which
II to be completed within year, on
$4,000. is into the subject OF govern
men. ownership "of all public util1-
ties. such as telegraph. wireless, caoie.
telephone. express companies and rail-
roads engaged in interstate and for
eiRn commerce. and report as to the
wisdom Ir feasibility of government
ownership Of such utilities and as TO
the comparative worth and efhciency
Of government regulation and control
Is compared with government owner
ship and operation"
Views Of Representative Esch.
This appears to many to be large
order to be filled for $4,000. Repre-
sentative Esch of Wisconsin. MEM
ber Of the Newlands committee. says:
1T reminds me of Mark Twain's
steamboat-with a ten-foot boiler and
a twelve-foot whistle. Every time the
whistle blew the boat had to stop for
However. Representative Esch is
thoroughly in favor Of the idea of con-
tinuing the Investigation
His colleague. Representative Len
root of Wisconsin. Is opposed to the
continuance, and made a plain state
rrent about it when II was on the
Aoor:
IF this resolution is adopted. it will
not be or its merits. but because of the
opportunities of the administrative Of
hcers Of the government and the inn
portunities of the representatives. OF
the great railroads of the country. who
this committee. and their purposes are
not in the public interest
The handspring of the opposition to
the continuance of the life of the New
lands committee was Representative
Rayburn of Texas. who succeeded in
blocking the thing for several weeks
until a special rule bowled him over.
He called the resolution continuing
ing within itself armed dangers.
placed within the walls by the Greeks,
who in this case are the railroad COM
panies-
Representative Rayburn Explains.
Representative Rayburn took the po-
sItion that the continuance of this in
vestigation would hamper the really
needed legislation. He explained it in
this way:
who is behind il: Who has been up
here calling out members OF the House
and asking them to change their votes
on this proposition and to adopt this
rule? One eminent gentleman an able
lawyer and counsel for the Southern
Railway Company. counsel Tor the rail-
way managers of the country-and
when he speaks he speaks for So per cent
OF the mileage-calied a member of the
House out and made representations to
him.
The member then asked in substance:
What is your object in wanting this
resolution adopted and to have this
committee continuedr'
The attorney replied in substance:
"My object is that l believe i can take
my experts before that committee. that
can make that committee believe
perhaps not some other committee
but I can make that committee believe
and recommend the absolute destruc-
tion Of the rights Of the state to con-
troll In transportation matters in this
country"
Source of Objection.
Considerable of the objection to the
committee now and originally came
fror1 men tinged with the old time
democratic principle of states rights.
They saw in this investigation a
chance to take away from the states
the right to control or supervise rail-
roads within their borders. and the rail-
roads would like nothing better than to
exchange two sets of masters for one.
Railroads. fretting under the control
of state railway commissions and SINH
lar organizations. and also obliged to
keep step with the Interstate commerce
commission. have seemingly leaped up
with loud hurrahs at the work of the
Newlands committee AS to this work
Representative Adamson. chairman of
the Interstate and foreign commerce
committee. says IL is nearly done. and
yhat the extension of time is but to
gross examine and write reports. Rep
fesentative Adamson is a stanch sup
porter of the investigation. and resent
ed the assaults made upon IL. He also
resented the claim that states rights
txta tcI tn ivxt T.,