Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-18
House Passed The
 EsGfl Railroad BiII
Provides For Private Owner ship and Operation of Rail Carriers, Under Broad Fed erai Supervision.

H.dSnlnSlon, NOV. 1.-The ESch railroad pill, providing for private ownership and operation Of rail car riers, under bread federal supervision, was passed tonight by the house, 203
 to lo9. The measure goes to the sem ate, but it will not be taken up there until the regular session in December
 majority of the democratic mem
 bers opposed the bill after their failure
 to eliminate the provision for govern
 ment guarantee of revenues of the car rlers for the first six months of renew
 ed private operation.
 Representative Sims, Tennessee, ranking democratic member of the house interstate commerce commit tee that framed the measure. led the light on the guaranty. declaring it a subsidy A motion to eliminate 1t was defeated. 200 to 16, on substan- italy nolitical division.
 The house reaffirmed, 253 to l12. it's stand on the labor sections, providing 1 only for the voluntary conciiation of
 labor disputes. Representative Kitch- l Tn, North Carolina. former democratic 1 leader, attacked the labor section as l leaving the settlement of disputes | largely with the railway unions. He | declared "the brotherhoods could nulli- 1 fy the provisions ten days after pas- sage of the bill by refusing to appoint representatives, to the board created to settle controversies.
 | Preceding the final show down" by | separate rolls the house spent the day
 m considering numerous extensions ot 1 the powers of the interstate commerce | commission. It's last important act was | to place the commission in control oi all capital issues of the roads. after 1 members had declared that if similar provisions had been in the law some 1 years ago none of the ''disgracefu ! financial disasters would have be- 1 fallen several big systems.
 The proposed new rule for rat, l making was eliminated after a bitter I fight. Efforts to prevent the inter | ing given authority to control intra state rates. imposing an undue bur
 len" op interstate commerce, were de
 teated.
 1 The railroad bin as passed by tn, house does this:
 Provides capital and insures the fl
 nancial future of the lines during tn, period immediately after private op eration is renewed: creates machin
 cry for the voluntary conciliation o labor troubles; and extends fedora authority over rail transportation b
 l increasing the powers of the Interstat . |
 Federal control would end with tn month in which the bill is enacted an . rates continued in effect for si months unless changed. Roads are or
 dered to ask the Interstate Commerc
 Commission for general rate advance
 within sixty days and governmen guaranty is denied carriers failing |
 do so.s
 g As "a guaranty. the governmer I agrees that the revehues of the car !, riers for the first six months of re 2 newed private operation shall equs i the standard return paid during fed ! eral control as rental for the use ( ' the lines. Short line railroads. an I express companies. would also receiV : this guaranty.
 : Government five year loans at si l per cent. also may be obtained by tn : lines within 2s months after the en '' of federal control and to carry out til : provision $250. .000.00 is made avaia ;; ble.
 t The funding plan for settlement
 $775,000,000 the roads will owe tf o government at the end of this yea v provides for setsoff of approximate ; S400.000.000 the amount of governmer s'' tai rental. Payment of this unliqu :. dated indebtedness would be in tt IS annual installments
 e For settlement of labor troubles, u n bill would set up machinery in vogl .si before and during federal control f V employe and employer voluntari
 conducting negotiations. with an ado
 ed provision for a second or appe
 board to reach decisions if the form c fail No penalty is provided again strike or lockout and on all boards il .. workers and the rail owners wou r have equal presentation. if The bill would give the Intersta ~ Commerce Commission jurisdiction use, control. movement, distributit
 and exchange or locomotives and car # and supply. movement and operate ,s of trains and extension or abandon
 ment of rail lines.
 ,1 The authority of the commissit 1r would be extended to prescribe min Z mum as well as maximum rates. order the revision of joint rates, 7 re-route shipments. and limit suspel ,o sion of rate schedules.
 The anti trust law may be set asi' " by the commission to permit them y pool earnings or equipment.
 To insure freight movement as d
 rected by bill of lading. road su = fering the loss must be paid as thout G it had carried the shipment.
 The bill affects water carriers " repeating part of the Panama Can lo act so as to permit railroads. on al n l proval of the commission, to own al st operate. boats on the Great Lakes al is Long Island Sound. and gives Io commission authority to order CO h- boipO made between rail al