The Washington times., 1919-01-12
BILL WOULD CREATE
R. R. DEPARTMENT.

Creation Of Federal Department OF
Railroads, headed by a new member OF
the Presidents Cabinet known as the
Secretary of Railroads. of a Federal
Railroad Board, and or five Federal
railroad districts in each of which
a Federal arilroad company shall con-
troll and operate the railroads withir
q, Il provided for in a bill intro
duCed in the House yesterday after
NOON by Congressman Arthur G.. De-
Wait, OF Pennsylvania, a Democratic
member of the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee.
DeWalt described the measure as
providing for a "middle-of- road
policy between public and private
ownership OF railroads. He added that
he was opposed to outright Govern
ment ownership of railroads, but be-
heved in Federal supervision or reg
ulation. -
He explained that the measure was
entirely his own idea" and that he
had not Consulted anybody about it
Representative Of the country's
commercial. agricultural. and labor, as
we'll as railroad interests. are also to
constitute q Federal railroad advisory
board council. under the bills, to help
carry ouI its provisions.
The proposed Federal railroad com
panies -snzil proceed with all reason
able Dispatch the bill seipulates.
ito acquire sufficient Of the outstand-
ing capital stock Of the Pennsylvania,
New York Central. Chicago, Milwau-
kee and st. Paul, Chicago and North
western, Union Pacific, Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe, and Southern Pa
effic railroad systems" and control
those railroad companies"
Five Railroad Districts
The bill proposes to divide the
Omitted States, excluding Alaska. into
ive railroad districts, Q) New Eng
Iano, (2l Central. (s) Southern, ca
Northwestern. (5) Central Pacific,
each to include -territoriaIly such
portions OF Continental United States
as shall be prescribed and determined
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
non, having due regard to geographi-
cal lines and traffic requirements"
The proposed Federal railroad board
II to supervise the organization In
sach Of the five districts of a Federal
railroad company by nine individuals
selected m each district by the board.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion - TO also have power to increase
the numSer OF districts to, but not be-
yond. nine. and TO change the territo-
rial limits and boundaries Of such dis
tricts.
Each of the proposed railroad COM
penies Is to possess authority "to ac-
auire, hold and exercise the power of
ownership of any or all sharesr Of
capital stocks and bonds and other oh
hgations of any or all private COM
penies within its district, as wen as to
construct, acquire, maintain and oper-
ate all railroads within its district.
and TO issue shares of its own capital
STOCK rom time to time, either for
cash. or in exchange for shares Of
sfock or bonds or other obligations Of
rrfvate railroads within its district.
Reports to Cenxre...
Each Federal Railroad Company 4. N
make every six months a report To the
Speaker Of the United States House M
Representatives. who shall cause n N
Be printed for the Information OF Con-
grexs-
me proposed Federal advisory rail-
rad council Il to consist Of four men,
oers 70 be appointed by. the pronosad
secretary OF Railroads, three by the