Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-08
.|.C.C. 0N FUTURE
 0f TIE RAILROADS
Continuance Of Present Plan of Ee- derai Regulation Not Likely to Be Abandoned.

Washington. Dec. 7.-Regardlass of whether railroads finally go back 10 private management or remain in lhe hafuS or the government, radical changes should be made in thei.'
 methods and theories Of operation to proVlde a partial merger under some sort Of government regulation, the interstate Commerce Commission says in it's annual report just made public.
 The Commission believes the time 's not ripe to recommend concrete
 proposals for legislation relating to i the future policy toward railroads, but says WwhateVcr be the nations decision, there should be provision TOT complete unificatiCn of the ra,y- ways in war time. partia! merger in ordinary times, limitation of railway
 construction to public neces sitv, and
 systematic encouragement of the de-
 velopment of inland waterways. and
 their coordination with rail carri-
 CTS.
 In other words. the Commission Is opposed to restoration of the old con-
 ditions individual competition, in
 which pooling Of traffic was forbid
 den by law, and to the building Of
 new lines without proof to the gov
 ernment that they are economically necessary.
 If it is finally decided to restore
 railroads to private management,
 says the Commission, there should
 be legislation to permit their coop- eration, emancipation railway op- erations from financial dictation, gov ernment regulation of security issu- as; clearing away of the existing tWi- light zone between the authority of state and federal authorities in rail-
 road supervision: efficient use of equipment and common use of ter minals.
 On the other hand, if the policy of government ownership should be adopted. the principal questions to be considered are: The price to be paid for the roads; means of pre- venting the railroads from being made sources of revenue. to the gov ernment and also the maintin them as self-supporting; measures to de- fine carefully the responsibility of the railway administration to Con- gress and other federal and state au- thorities; guarantees against intru- sion of partisan politics into railway mana cement and creation of tri- buna. to settlement of controversies over railroad matters.
 Some sort of government regula- tion is suggested by the Commission ill connection with each Of the five alternatives of future policy which may be set forth by different inter- ests in the near future These al- ternatfves are: Continuation of the present system Of government con- trol with private ownership, public /, ownership with private operation, private operation with government regulation and guarantees, complete private control and ownership and complete public ownership and op- eration.
 The report deals at length with the upheaNal of railroad relations ! caused by the war and the govern ment's assumption of operation, and l the relations of the Interstate Con- merce Commission to Director Gene ral McAdoo and the railroad admin istration. The Commission has CO., operated fully with the government says the report, but the Commission still retains it's au- thority to revieiw rates initiated by the Director General.
 Railroad valuation work of the which will become of great importance in case of govern ment purchase, is proceeding with little interference on account of the war. Safety work has been assum- ed partly by the railroad adminis- tration, but educational work is be- ing continued throughout the coun- try. The Commission in the last year has made great strides in seek Ing to promote, uniform rate classifi- and has undertaken a num- Der of other Investigations, of rates and practices.
 The report, including the statement1 future policies toward rail- roads, is signed by all the commits ,ioners. except George w. Anderson, who recently resigned to accept an-