Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-03-15
INTERESTING VIEWS CURRENT NEWS.
WEEKLY REPORT Or
 TRAFFIC BUREAU

The above question is the most vital one confronting the American people today. I
 As business men and as citizens you should be informed on this subject and particularly informed oi the views of those who are handling this matter and who are making recon mendations in your behalf in answer to the above question.
 This organization is a member of the Southwestern Industrial Traffic League, who delegated R. c. Full bright of Houston, Texas, to appear before the United States Senate Com mittee on Interstate Commerce, and convey them the recommendation ot the Southwestern states their answer to the question: What disposal shall we make of the railroads? ..
 Mir. Fulbright's testimony was very lengthy and he made an extremely favorable impression on the commit tee. We quote below the resolutions of the Southwestern Industrial Trat- fic League and earnestly recommend that you read it at your leisure:
 Whereas, The Congress of the Unit
 ed States, in response to the message of the president, is now considering the passage of legislation relating to the ownership, control, and operation of the railroads of the United States alter the war; and
 Whereas, The Southwestern Indus trial Traffic League. in meeting as
 sembled,e has given consideration to the problems now confronting the nation; and .d ] Whereas, It is deemed proper at this time to make suggestions to Congress l as to the attitude of this body toward the transportation problems. There , fore, be it
 1 Resolved, That Q) This organiza-
 tion is opposed to the principle Of
 government ownership and peration
 as being destructive of American in ;, itiative and against the interests of 1, the American plblic, and believes that 1 1t is for the best interest of the public
 that the railways and express com
 panies now operated by the Federal |Government be returned to the own CTS of such properties and competi- tive conditions restored as soon as
 adequate reconstruction legislation
 can be accomplished.
 l (2) We further favor the enact ment of such laws as will secure
 unified system of control of railroads
 and express rates, fares. regulations and practices, both interstate and in-
 trastate, under the authority of non- partisan commissions, which shall be as far removed from political control
 as possible, and the establishment of regional bodies to be composed of
 nonpartisan members who are famil- 1 far with traffic and transportation conditions in the regions for which
 they act.
 l (3) We further express our dis ' approval of the plan suggested by the
 committee of railroad executives rec
 ommending that a cabinet position be created by Congress. to be known as i the Director or Secretary of Trans portation. l (4l We favor the regulation of the
 issuance of railway securities by State and National laws, and regula- i tion providing for assistance by the Y, National Treasury of railway im- provements and extensions, which are
 urgently needed by the shipping pub
 lie, where such assistance is proper
 ly safeguarded by lrst mortgage claims against the improvements so i constructed, such assistance to be granted under the control of Fed 1 the Improvements.
 eral regulative body. which has au , thirty to permit the construction of (5) While iavoring the mainten- ance of healthy competition, we be-
 lieve the Interstate Commerce Com-
 mission should have power to prevent competitive waste of eliminating cir cuitous routes and controlling serv- | ice, and to compel division of traffic
 and control routing to prevent or eliminate congestion at ports or ter minals. and we further favor the ] pooling of equipment and unification i with power in the regulative body to
 of terminals under Federal control. provide for due compensation for use i of property.
 (6l We believe that the Interstate
 Commerce Commission should have the power to make minimum rates. 1 (7) We further favor the adjudi- i cation of wage disputes between rail ways and their employees before i nonpartisan body, not subject to po- ' liticai control, and Legislation. guar
 anteeing to the public the uninter-
 rupted functioning of the transporta ] tion facilities to the end that the pro- ductive and manufacturing industries I of the nation may be hereafter pro-
 tected from the disasters which would
 follow suspension of operations. 1 (S) We further believe that the
 police powers of the several States