Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1917-01-19
BRYAN AGAINST
OWNERSHIP BY
| The GOVERNMENT
Gives N0WIands Committee His
Views on Railroad Control
COMPETITION PREFERABLE.

Federal Regulation Should Not Be Al
lowed TO Exclude Exercise of State
Authority, He contends-Thinks Rail.
road Stocks Should Represent Actual
Value and Be Stable as Government
Bonds.
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 I'm sup
port of the claim that the states should
be allowed to retain authority over tho
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 ! cannot say that I de-
sire government ownership" he ex-
plained, "because l lean to the indi-
vidual idea rather than to the collec-
tive idea; that IL, believe that gov
ernment ownership is desirable only
where competition is impossible"
Alfred p. Thorn, counsel to the Rail
way Executives Advisory Committee.
previously had presented before the
l.tr ,,f ha dc p,,,t4
as one Of his reasons for urging bet
ter balanced ard more systematic reg
ulation Of railroads the argument that
this is the only alternative to govern
rhent ownership. Calling attention to
the restrictions imposed upon the
transportation lines by conflicting state
laws and regulations. to the practical
cessai ION OF new construction and to the
impossibility under existing conditions
Of securing the new capital needed for
extensions and betterments Of railway
facilities. he warned the Congressman
that unless they provided a fair and
reasonable system Of regulation that
would enable the railroads to meet the
growing needs OF the country's bust
ness the national government would
be compelled to take over the owner
ship OF the lines with all the evils at
tendant upon such a system.
Preservation Of Composition.
Mr.. Bryan. on the other hand, holds
that the further extension Of federal
authority over the railroads would be
q step in the direction Of government
ownership. He advanced the view that
the Capitalization of control In the
hands Of the national government
would impose too great 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. lie 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 declared himself in favor
OF national regulation of railway stock
and bond issues but added that he saw
no reason why that should exclude the
states from acting on the same sub
ject as to state corporations. IL would
like TO see the stock % n railroad. rs
long as it is in private hands made as
substantial and as unvarying as the
value Of government bond" he us
serted.
He suggested that railroad cnpltal-
cation be rcadiusted to cquaizeIt with
actual valuation of the property rep
resented. making due allowance for
equities. and that when this was done
the roads should he allowed to earn
sufficient income to keep their stock
at par and to create surplus. The
latter. he tentatively proposed, might
be allowed to amount to % per cent
Of the capital.
Railway Earnings Low.
This subject OF railroad capitalization
and the amount OF railroad earnings
received further attention from the
committee during its recent sessions
In answer to questions by Senator
Cumrlins. Mr.. Thorn submitted figures
showing the net earnings Of the roads
1, recent yeers. These figures show
that curing the five years from 1905
to 1910 the average net earnings were
5.25 per cent OF the net capitalization.
while for the fve years from 1910 to
1916 the average was only 4.56 per
cent. The total earnings on the stock,
computed by adding to the net oper-
ating income the incoEe from the Sc
curitlcs owned ind deducting bond in.
teres. we're for 1910, 100 per cent:
for 1Di1, CIT per cent; for 1912, 497
per cent; for 1913, 5.04 per cent; for
1911. 800 pcr cent; for 1918. 3.44 per
cent, thus showing an almost contin.
uous decrease throughout this six year
period lt was announced that Eal.
ford Erickson. formerly chairman Of
the Wisconsin Railroad Commission,
would submit more complete informa.
ISt,r M, chic g,,htant ta tho ra,, 70 m