The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-24
vshy ! Oppose Standardization
 Of Railroads By Elliot, of System.
 No 3War Methods

and with a future before it more wonderful even than it's past, any system of internal transportation should provide for:
 1. Inducement for the individual citizen to engage in the business by permitting reasonable rewards for brains, energy, industry, and the cap 1t at all times ahead of the needs of the same kind of rewards in other forms of human effort.
 2. Constant developments of the transportation machine so as to keep il at all times ahead of the needs of the growing country.
 g. Adoption of improved and i'm proving methods of carrying on the business so as to obtain the maxi mum of efficiency and economy.
 f. Reasonable and regulated com petition and cooperation for the purpose of producing development of different sections of the country ar~ improvement in the methods employ ed by the transportation agencies serving the country.
 5. Continuity of service so that the transportation machine will al ways be in a position to serve the country unless prevented by Act of God or of war.
 6. Regulation by the United States through suitable Government agencies, which regulation must be of such a form as
 (a) To attract capital and permit Q steady improvement in, and ex- pansion ,of, the facilities;
 Cb) Which must protect the inter- ests of the public using the railroads and promote the comfort, conven- fence, and safety of that public;
 tc) Which must protect the off Cers and employees who maintain and operate the road and which must work constantly in the direction of improving working and living condi- tions; and which must provide some method of adjustment of any con troversies about wages and working conditions;
 Cd) And which also must protect the interests of those who have in- vested money in the securities repre- senting the railroads and who are also directly interested because of their insurance policies, savings bank deposits, etc.
 The suggestions outlined to you by MT. Guyler and MT. Thom, repre- senting the crystallized opinion of the principal railroad men in the United States, point the way to a system of ownership and regulation which will, in my judgment, produce the results desired by the majority of the peo- pie.
 MT. Kruttschnitt and MT. Willard have pointed out how much was ac- complished under war conditions dur ing 1917 by the united action of all the railroads, hampered as they were by restrictive laws.
 Much, if not all that can be accom- p1ished by Government ownership and operation can be obtained under the plans suggested and the value of individual initiative retained.
 It is very gratifying to find that the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion, out of its experience, makes many suggestions that are in line with those made by the railroad ex- ecutives
 Whether to put all the regulatory power in the hands of the Interstate Commerce Commission, or to relieve the pressure on that body somewhat by giving it help in the form of Re gional Commissions, who will be nearer to the people and to the State Commissions, and whether to recop nize the great importance of the Transportation business by having !. Ca binet officer to take charge of some of the executive work connect ed with regulation and to watch and protect the transportation agencies are, of course, questions of indiyid,,a1 Judgment.
 I believe, on the whole, better re- suits for the Nation will be secured