The Alaska daily empire., 1918-12-11
Interstate Commerce Con- mission in Its Annual Report Reviews the
 Conditions.
PEOPLE HAVE RIGHTS
The Necessity of Interstate Arrangements for Better Operation Touched
 Upon.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-In deal ing with the question of what may be done with the railroads in the future, the Interstate Commerce Com mission in it's annual report to the Congress says:
 "The conditions, without precedent or parallel, which the war has pro duced now press upon the Congress matters of the gravest national and international concern.
 While we do not deem the pres ent conditions and moment oppor. tunities in which to recommend con crete proposals for legislation, we may indicate certain lines of inquiry which must be pursued in order to reach sound conclusions.
 Whatever line of policy is determ- ined upon, the fundamental aim or purpose should be to secure trans portation systems that will be ade- quate for the Nations needs even iL time of National stress or peril and that will furnish to the public safe, adequate, and efficient transporta- tion at the lowest cost consistent with that service. To this end there should be provision for QD the prompt merger without friction of all the carriers lines, facilities, and organizations into a continental and unified system in time of stress or emergency; CD merger within proper limits of the carriers lines and facilities in such part and to such extent as may be necessary in the general public interest to meet the reasonable demands of our do mestic and foreign commerce; (3) limitation of railway construction to the necessities and convenience of the Government and of the pub lie, and assuring construction to the point of these limitations; and t4) development and encouragement of inland waterways and coordination of rail and water transportation sys- tems.
 Among the plans which doubtless will be proposed are the following: I) Continuance of the present plan of Federal control; CD public owner ship of carrier property with private operation under regulation; t3) pri- vate operation under regulation with Governmental guarantees; (4) re- agement under regulation and (5J public ownership and operation Ad ditional plans and qualifications or combinations of those enumerated might be listed.
 If the policy of private owner ship and operation under regulation is continued, the following subjects will require legislative consideration CD Revision of limitations upon united or cooperative activities among common carriers by rail or by water; @ emancipation of rail way operation from financial dicta ton; (3) regulation of issues of se- curities; (D establishment of a re- Iationship between Federal and State authority which will eliminate the twilight zone Of Jurisdiction and un- der which a harmonious rate struc- ture and adequate service can be se- cured, State and interstate; (5) re- strictions governing the treatment of competitive as compared with non competitive traffic: 60 the most efficient utilization of equipment and provision for distributing the burden of furnishing equipment on an equitable basis among the re- spective carriers; (7) more liberal use of terminal facilities in the in-