The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-12-05
Interstate Commerce Body Recon-.
mends That Old System Should
Not Be Restored Without I'm.
portant Notifications.
co OPERATION OF ROADS
SHOULD BE PERMITTED
Railway Policy Should Be Eman.
cipated From Financial Dicta-
ton, and State and Federal Con
troll Should Be Defined.

Washington. bee. = Regardless of
whether railroads finally go back To
private management or remain in the
hands Of the government. radical
changes should be made iu their meth
ods and theories Of operation to pro-
vide a partial merger under some sort
of government regulation the inter.
state commerce commission says in
IT'S annual report made public today.
The commission believes the time Is
not ripe to recommend concrete pro-
pusals for legislation relating To the
future policy toward railroads. but
says whatever he the nations deci-
sion, there should hc provision for
complete unification uf the railways
In war time, partial merger In ordin-
ary times. limitation Of railway con-
structiou To public necessity. aud sys-
tematic cncdNragemcnt of the develop
mcut uf inland waterw1ys ana their
coordination with rail carriers
In other words. nc commission Is
opposed to rcstoraii0n Of the old con-
dit!ons uf individual competition, in
which pooling q, traffh was forbidden
hy law, and TO the building of new
lines without proof TO the government
that they are economically necessary.
II u Is finally decided TO restore
railroads 20 private management says
the commission. there should he leg
islatiOn To permit their cooperation.
emancipation ~ railway operation
from financial dictation. government
regulation uf security issues clearing
away of the existing twilight zone be-
tween the authority uf state aud fed
cral authorti.s iu railroad supcrVi-
sion, efficient use OF equipment and
common use Of terminals
ON the other hand, II tnc policy Ot
government ownership should be
adopted. the principal questions to be
considered are. The price t. bc paid
for the roads means Of preventing
tho railroads from being mode sources
at revenue 10 the government. and al
20 to maintain them rs self support
ing measures tu define carefully the
responsibility Of the railway admins
tratlon 20 congress and other federal
and state authorities; guarantees
against intrusion ~ partisan politics
into railway management. ana crea .
tion of tribunal tO settlement of
controversies over railroad matters.
Some sort Df government regulation
tx suggested u, tN, commission Ia con
noctiuu with .l.u ~ the five ,crnn
tivcs Of future policy which may bo
set forth by different Interests IN the
near future These alternatives ure:
Continuation OF tar present system Of
government control with private own
operation private uperation with gov
crnment regulation and guardutccs
Completr private control and owner
ship ana cuwulrf, pubiit ownership
and operation
The report deals lt length with the
upheavnl ct railroad relations caused
by the war and the governments as
I sumption uf operation ana the rcla
tiuus of the Interstate commerce com.
mission To Director General McAdoo
+ md Tin, railroad administration This
| commission hI- ro-0pcratcd fullt
with the FoypruWcnt infringement
SANS the report, hut the commission
SIN retains ita authority 60 review
rates Initiated hy the director gen
cral
Railroad valuation work Of ths
romtalssion. which viii become oi
J Erent importance ln caac Of govern.
n.sut purcha-r. o. rocceding with lii
I tie intelfcTcurc uu tcrouut OF the war
I Safety work his been assu,acd partly
/ bv tho railroad administration. but
+ oducatiun4l Wurk is being continued
, throughout the country. The COM
Z mission in the last year has made
uniform rate slt-siflcations. and has
/ undcrtnkeu "a number ~ other invcs'
tigations of rates and piacuces
The report including the statement
concerning future policies toward rail
I roads. is signed hy Az the commits.
/ sioners. except George W. Anderson
who recently resigned 10 accept an
other federal appointment others are
Winthrop 81 Daniels, chairman. I'd
gar T. Cmrk James :. Harlan
I Charles G. McIh1rd Balthasar "
Meyer. Henr, e. nlll, clsde b. Aitch'
ison and Robert W Woolcy.
The commissinn's statement on the
future of the rallrunds follows
The condition. without precedent
/ or parallel which the war has pro-
duced nov press upon the congress
matters Of the sruvest national and
international concern.
while We do NOT deem the present
conditions and moment opportune ir
which 90 recommend concrete pro-
posals fof legislation We may Indicate
certain lines of inquiry which must be
pursued in order 60 reach sound con
clusions
Whatever line 90 pollcy Is deter
mined upon. the fundamental aim oI
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