The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-10
ELECTRIC RAIL
MEN LAND THE
WILSON PLAN

WASHINGTON. Juno ?.-The Ameri-
COW J.I,r,r.r Railway Association pub
lishcd today n strong Endorsement ot
prrsldc.i Wilson's action creating
new Federal commission to inH"S'iEaL"
street railway problems. Tn" Atl'uo'
oF tho association is that IN" president
action comes rs a W".""n" Sur2r'S" al
-, ,;nr when more than nfty &c tho larG-
est urban electric systems 81 IN"
country nave had /" 20 INTO ~" hanuS
~ rrcr. vors Predicting thai IN" COM
mission IS destined 10 h"Com" con-
~tr;rr,lv,. agency Of the greatest I'M
portance. the association stat"s further:
During tho war every effort was
made To maintain MAXIMUM efficiency
IN spite Of all handicaps. The 'qua'-
tics Of operating conditions hccom"
moro and moro distorted. however. by
forces beyond the control Of State or
municipal authorities. and entirely be-
yond tho control Of industry. Th"s"
conditions still persist. Tho imitation
If our currency TO Il point that has re-
duccd tho buying power of the nickel I"
2r2 cents has brought about n situation
N which tho public in performing their
part Of a franchise agreement are pay
nc their Shar in n deprecated coin. used
in turn by the electric railways in pay
ing double prc-war prices for rails, tics
end wages. This prcd!camcnt is nation
al and not local"
Tho members Of the commission
named by the president TO diagnose the
ailments OF the electric roads and pro-
scribe for their recovery are Charles T.
| Elm1Ust. president and general solicitor
Z, Of the National Association OF Railway
and Utility Commissioners; Edwin +.
Sweet, assistant secretary OF tho depart
| ment Of commerce; Eugene Meyer. Jr..
managing director Of tho war finance
corporation; pr. Royal Mcokcr. statisti-
clan Of the department OF labor; GcorE"
! l.. Baker mayor Of Portland. Ore; T.
! II. Gadsden, Esq. chairman OF the com
mittce on readjustment OF the American
: Electric Railway association. 4 practical
! operator OF public utility plans; Charles
| w. Beall Of Harris, Forbes & Co, New
| York city, and W. =. Mahon. president
Of the Amalgamatrd Association Of
street and Electric Railway Employees.
! Detroit.
These men, IN the opinion OF the as
ISOLATION will cndcavor 70 determine
| not only what the present condition of
! the industry is, but what the direct
causes Of that condition arc. and what
remedies can be applied. Their inveSti-
: CATION will at ono" take CnGnizanCc OF
| tho industry's magnitude and the ramlii-
cations Of it's activities"
II represents an Investment Of moro
than s.. 0nn, On0.0"0 employs between
$50. 0n0 and 100000 operatives: repre-
scnts an annual purchasing power IN
| normal times Of more than $iOh.oc0.O"n
Moro than q per cent of rs total mile
| ago is now in tho hands of receivers. In
! twcnty-eiEht states electro railways arc
bankrupt or have abandoned All or por-
lions OF their property. These are
among the alarming facts that Will re-
! crivC the commissions attention.
Tho declared policy oC the new COM
! mission as outlined by Chairman Elm
urist is: This commission wisho" 10
mako II investigation broad and C"mTrc-
hcnsivo with q view to rrakinE recon-
mcndations which Will ho Il positive con-
tribution 10 III" solution = tho problems
that now confront tho country