New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-14
National Body to Take Ref
erendum of Country's
Business Men
Board Urges Changes
Strictcr Regulation by Federal
Authority Recommended
by Committee

WASHINGTON. Sept. II. A rcfercn-
sr, of business men on proposed ra''-
road legislation IS being taken nS ''e
chamber Of Commerce Of the unitoo
States through its affiliated eommere'S'
bodies throughout the United states II
WAS announced to-day.
Importance is attached to th's o'
cause Of the careful study when mas
b,cn made Of the subject by the '"""'-
hers railroad committee and the prom
,crco Of members Of the committee
Through their associations business
mon will vote for or against the io'-
Loving four recommendstions:.
F;rst-That provision be made u,
Federal regulation Of the issuance u
railroad securities.
ur;,sd States Railroad Incorporate"
sscond-That Congress pass gen,
oval railroad incorporation law un'e'
which all railroad carriers suoJ'C' "
tho jurisdiction Of the Interstate 0o"'
r,arce Commission may organize
Tbird-That if Congress passes
rsi,road incorporation law, all ra'if0"I
carriers subject TO the jurisdieuon "
~ Interstate Commerce Commission
-, chose now existing and those mere
,f,sr 70 be created, be required 10 u
ganize under this law.
Fourtb-in view Of the fact tha' Gun
A.. hos arisen with respect 70 'he
jurisdiction of the Interstate commerce
commission over intrastate rates. even
,horcb spch rates affect interstate com
r,srce. the committee RECOMMENDS 'n"'
The commission be given authority oy
statute to regulate irtrasta'e r@'V'
ubon those rates affect interstate COM
merce. ,t,I
The committee has made a carelu'
study of the present system OF ran
"a rcculation and reviewed various
Mans suggested for perfecting H. ne
committee has also made detai!eo
ANALYSIS Of all OF the railroad dis
introduced in the esd and 64th Con-
grasses. As result, the committee
has reached certain definite conciu-
siors embodied in the four recommen-
6atiors submitted IN the report.
For Compulsory United States Charters
The committee declares there mas
been much discussion whether rail-
roads should merely be given an OPP
portunity 20 incorporate under Federal
authority. or should be required to 90
50. Many constituent members Of the
Chamber OF Commerce Of the United
States. the committee saws. have made
a careful study Of this question and
IN resolutions forwarded 10 the ma
tional chamber have declared them
selves unmistakably IN favor Of com
pulsory incorporation.
The committee points out That lntra-
state rates are closely interviewer "lth
interstate rates and that any regu!a-
ton Of the one must have some erect
upon the other. Most Of the railroads
OF the country cross state lines and
handle botn intrastata and interstate
commerce over the same rails, by the
same employees, and often IN the same
cars. The same commodities, il is point
ed out, arc handled in beth intrastate
and interstate commerce.
The committee is composed Of Harry
A. Wheeler, of Chicago, chairman;
Charles r. Van Hise, of Madison, pres
ident Of the University Of Wisconsin,;
George W. Anderson, lawyer, Of Bos-
ton; Judge T. c. billiard, Of Sherman,
Tex, formerly president Of the Texas
Bar Association; Robert II. bowman,
OF New Orleans, president Of the Ma
tional Lumber Manufacturers Associa-
ton; Stephen A. Foster, lawyer, Of
Chicago; Bishop Thomas f. Gailor, Of
Memphis, chancellor Of the University
OF the South; Professor Emory r..
Johnson, of the University Of Pennsyl-
vania; L. T. Meredith, editor, Of Des
Moines. Iowa; George A. Post, of New
York City, president of the Railway
Business Association; Professor Will
lam Z. Ripley, cf Harvard University;
G. ". Simmons, OF St. Louis, vice-pres-
ident Of the Simmons Hardware Com
pany, and Alexander w. Smith, lawyer,
OF Atlanta.