The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-16
Committee Expected to Pro-
vide for Return to Own
ers After War
RAILROAD BILL
WILL BE AMENDED
Three Democratic Congressman Join the
Republicans in Opposing Present In
definite Suspension-Some Alterna-
tives Under Consideration.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-Opposition
has developed in the house committee
on interstate commerce to the inclusion
in the administration railroad bill OF
the last paragraph, which prohibits the
return of the railroads to their owners
until congress gives consent. Three
Democratic members Of the committee
are said to oppose reporting the bill in
it7 present form Indications are that
the paragraph in question will be
amended.
The objections come from Democrats
opposed to that element in the party
which has been fast drifting toward
government ownership. In the para
graph in question, for which e. W, An
dersnn. a member of the interstate
commerce commission, CLAIMS credit,
the conservative Democrats see move
to keep the railroads under govern
ment control for so long period as to
| be tantamount to government owner
| ship, and have signitied their intention
| of joining the Republican members OF
| the committee in an effort to define
! time wAen the railroads shall be re
turned to their owners.
| Section b, the last in the bin, reads;
..The federal control Of tran9porta-
/ ton systems herein and heretofore pro
yidpd for shall continue for and during
| the period of the war and until con
orcss shall hereafter order otherwise.
! Under such a law, il Is declared, II
| congress should be as Submissive as at
! present, the President could keep the
! railroads under government control fer
an indefinite period This might be ac-
comrlished, il is pointed out by the
President vetoing a resolution to return
the railroads to their owners, IN which
ease a two-thirds vote would be re
i duirCd to pass the resolution over his
head. Thus, while the railroads would
be turned over to the government by a
majority vote they could not be re-
stored by "A similar vote. Hence con
.arvativc- members of the committee
will fight to amend the bill So as to
read that the roads shall be restored
either nj the end of the war, or within
six months or q year after the war. II
, other words, the c0nteS. Is to make I'M
, necessary further action of congres:
as to the restoration of the carriers.
The opposition has become 50 stron.
: that friends Of the administration wett
r quoted tonight az saving that the com
mittee probably would amend the bill
. so as to fix the time for the return o
e the railroads at six months after tn
war The sentiment against the section
o became stronger today, probably due t
n the action Of the railroad presidents i
registering their protests. There doe
I not seem to be any division among II
Republicans a. TO the ACCESSIBILITY e
$ fixing the time for return Of the raj
S roads, and unless the Administrative
= shall exert its influence to the COZ
; trary the bill will be amended to stat
; time
# Validity of the proposal to appropr
e ate S500,0 900 to carry out govern
.e ment control of railroads was que
ii toned today before the senate int
n state commerce committee by Senate
d Underwood as well as by certain men
or bers Of the committee. II was poin
Of ed out that, whereas the railroads we
he taken over as a war measure, under Il
il constitution appropriations for tae 81
$ port of armies are limited to two wear
i'm 1.-THE question is whether congre
i conferred military or civil powers uPt
90 the secretary of war; said Senat
or Underwood. q think congress 60
lo fe,red military powers. If Direct
lie General McAdoo is acting through Il
"a powers Of the secretary of war, hasn
the war department the absolute rig
to control the management of the
es roads as it would a commissary train
If the senator asked Mr.. Anderson, W
,ir helped frame the bill.
alt would fall very little, if an
short of that replied the comm
II sioner
tn of these railroads were taken ov
OF. for military purposes, it seems to l