Arizona republican., 1919-01-08
R. R. PRESIDENTS
 PROPOSE ID kDD
 CABINET OFFICE
Transportation Member Ad- vised-I. c. c. to Assume Judicial Functions Lat ter Body Suggests Private Control, With U. s. Regu- lation-M Many Legislative Changes Urged

lation-Many Legislative
 Changes Urged
 WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-RaiIroad executives have decided to recommend to congress a system of unified pri- Vate management of rail lines, with strong public control, exercised by secretary of transportation, in the presidents cabinet and a re-organ- Ized interstate commerce commission. with regional divisions acting as court of last resort in rate disputes.
 This became known here today, CO., C incidental with the disclosure of the interstate commerce commissions at titude, that railroads should be re- turned to private management within reasonable period,'' to allow for preparations and readjustment. anh under ''broadeneGs extended and am plifled governmental regulation" The commissions announcement was made by Commissioner EdSar F. Clark, testifying at the senate inter state commerce committees hearing on T-oposed railroad legislation, to which the railway executives proposed plan will be presented tomorrow or Thurs 1 day. The commission opposed indef-
 
 erslnp or operation of railroads al this time. and outlined a comprehensive i plar: for legislation which would per | init limitation of unnecessary oompe- | tition, pooling of facilities, government ] regulation of maximum and. minimum ! rates and standards of service gov ernment direction of railroad exten- i sicns and financing, and direct CO., 1 operation between federal and state , .1-k
 Wollley dissented in part advocating Director General McAdoo's proposal. 1 that government control be extended l for five years to provide a test period. l. C. c. Have First Plan The interstate commerce cornrnis-
 sion's suggestions were the first al
 ternatives to Mr. McAdoo's extension | plans, so far received by the senate
 committee. Most of the committees
 suggestions are understood to be em-
 bodied in the railroad executives plan. | which also proposes permanent retep-
 tion of a great part of the reforms ef- | fected by the railroad administration. The interstate commerce commits
 sion's statement to the commerce com | mittee referred repeatedly to a fed
 eral body" to exercise public control
 over railroads, but did not specify
 whether this was to be the commission T itself or some other agency. The plan of the railroad executives, on the other
 hand, proposed to give to the secretary
 of transportation broad powers, to CO.,
 ordinate railroad facilities whenever
 demanded by public interest; to dis
 tribute traffic over various lines for
 the purpose of relieving congestion
 and eXpediting the service; to order the transfer of cars from one line to
 another, where they are most needed.
 and to require the joint use of ter
 minals by competing lines.
 To coordinate the agencies of gov
 ernment control, the railroad execu- tives propose to transfer to the de- , pertinent of transportation the execu-
 tive and administrative functions now
 held by the interstate commerce com
 mission. The commission would re-
 main the court of last resort, as to reasonableness and adequately Of 1 freight and passenger rates, but the
 responsibility for rate regulation would
 be divided between the secretary of
 transportation, the commission and
 new regional commissions, represent
 ing groups of states, reporting their
 findings to the commission at Wash
 ington.
 R. R. Chiefs File Scheme. The proposal of the railroad leaders II IS llldI IdltS Illtu DN liitll MALH Ailt | government shall be reviewed by the
 secretary of transportation. who may
 approve or disapprove them. or refer
 them to the commission. Any rates Q made the subject of complaint by the l public could be brought before the e commission for review, regardless of e the cabinet officers action. The per Y iod for which rates might be suspend 2 ed, pending investigation, would be re 6 duced from ten months, as at present n to two months.
 The railroads mems attitude is that '. the interstate commerce commissions $
 efficiency would be increased through g relieving it of administrative deitail ;, and the turning over to regional com e missions much routine involved in = hearing local rate cases.
 V To make possible consolidation of
 weak railroads with strong lines, joint . use of cars and facilities, inter-com- V pany agreements as to rates and prac- 0 tices, the railroad executives would - amend existing laws. forbidding these l. practices, and legaliZe them under su- l. pervision of the secretary of transpor- c tation. Other features of the railroad
 proposal include federal incorporation 1T of all railroad companies, federal con ,- trol of railroad security issues, and es- ,- tablishment of federal wage board, e to investigate wage and employment g disputes.
 In the event of adoption by congress ,f of the policy of private ownership and m operation under government regula- er ton, the interstate commerce commis to sion proposed eight subjects for legis- ,e lative consideration:
 m Remove Limitations. "a Removal of some of the present s. limitations on united or cooperative IS activities among rail and water car ,d riers; emancipation of railway opera le tion from financial dictation; govern SC ment regulation of security issues;
 establishment of new relations betweer 1t. federal and state authorities to elim el mate the existing twilight zone" O. Id jurisdiction; restrictions governing tn, d treatment of competitive. as compared i- with non competitive, traffic; efficien'
 utilization and pooled purchases O 1 cars and locomotives; more liberal anC ir common use of terminal facilities; ant
 limitations within which common car.