New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-20
Board of 2? Directors, Part
Women, Chosen by Many
Organizations, Suggested
Elliott Submits a Brief
Northern Pacific Official
L rs e $ Regulation of
Private Control Scheme


Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb 19.-Govern-
ment ownership Of the railroads, with
board of directors to run them com
posed partly of women, was the pro-
posal laid before the Senate Interstate
Commerce Committee to-day by Ben
jamin c. Marsh on behalf of the
Farmers National Council and the
Farmers National Committee on
Transportation as a permanent solu-
ton of the railroad problem.
The plan for the railroad brother,
hoods to have the roads operated by a
board controlled by the employees he
criticised as "class legislation"
1--WE suggest" he said, Tentatively
and as a substitute for the plan of
operation Of the railroads put forward
by the railroad brotherhoods, that the
administration of the railroads should
be in the hands OF board OF at least
twenty-five directors, of whom one
NTH should be selected from farmers
organizations, one-fifth from railroad
employees, onc-fifth from merchants
and manufacturers associations, one
fifth from commercial municipal asso-
Citations, and one-fiftn should be APP
pointed directly by She President, by
and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. 1t is suggested that there
should be at least one woman from
each of the five groups represented
upon this board Of directors
lie said he thought that the women
should have this representation. in
view Of the numbers of them who now
vote.
Hearings on the railroad problem
Will be ended by the committee to-
morrow, Chairman Smith announced
to-day.
In the cross examination of Daniel
Willard, president of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, who preceded Mr. Marsh
on the stand, Senator Cummins gave
notice that when the bill to appropri-
ate $3.50, 600 as new revolving
fund" for the railroad administration
reaches the floor of the Senate he will
offer as an amendment his bill to pro-
hibit the President from turning back
the roads to their owners before the
expiration of the twenty-one months
period OF afterthe-war Federal con-
troll, originally fixed in the control act,
or until Congress had determined upon
q definite and permanent policy Of rail
road legislation. He indicated that un-
less some such restriction were placed
upon the President in the revolving
fund bill he would undertake to hold
UP the appropriation entirely.
Wants Question Settled
"Do you not think the President will
exercise common sense and not turn
back the roads without making pro
vision to safeguard them from financial
disaster?' asked Senator Smith.
me question is replied Senator
Cummlns, "whether he will carry out
The threat of the former director gem
eral to turn them back Immediately
unless the hve-year extension of Fed
eral control is granted
Questioning of Mr.. Willard by Sen
ator Kellogg emphasized the fact that
at present the corporate managers of
the companies have nothing whatever
TO do with the operation of the roads.
and he urged as an intermediary step
IN the return of the roads that thew
first be placed back in the hands of the
corporate managers, with the Director
General of Railroads kept in general
control Of the situation and exer-
clslng the powers he now possesses.
III the railroads are not competent
to manage their own affairs" OBJ
served Senator Pomerene, "thev could
10 doubt hire the force Of the Di-
rector Generals Office, could they
not %
a assume So" replied Mr. Willard;
they had them all in the first place"
Referring to the labor problem Of the
roads, Mr.. Willard said;
81 believe that the employees should
be permitted to retain the right to
strike, but that the exercise Of this
right should be limited in the public
interest"