Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-18
RAILROAD BILL IS
PASSED BY HOUSE
Provides Return to Private Own
ership Under Broad Fed
eral Control.
OPPOSED BY DEMOCRATS
Motion to Eliminate Guarantee
of Revenue for First Six
Months Defeated.
lBy Associated Pre-. ]

WASHINGTON, Nov. l7.-The rail
road bill providing for private owner
ship and operation Of rail carriers, un-
der broad Federal supervision. was
passed tonight by the House. 203 to
lo9. The measure goes to the Senate,
put 1t will not be taken up there until
the regular session in December.
A majority of the Democratic mem
bers opposed the bill, after their fail
ure TO eliminate the provision for gov
crhmeht guarantee of revenues of the
carriers for the first six months Of
renewed private operation.
representative Sims, of Tennessee.
ranking Democratic member of the
House Interstate Commerce Commit
tee that framed the measure. led the
hg ut on the guaranty. declaring IL a
subsidy. y motion to eliminate it was
defeated, 200 to ls5. on substantially
The House reaffr!ned. 253 to 1lo. it's
stand on the labor sections. providing
only for the voluntary conciiiation of
ch!h: North Carolina, former Demo-
cratic leader. attacked the labor sec
ton as leaving the settlement OF dis
He declared "thc brotherhoods could
nullify the provisions ten days after
passage OF the bill by refusing to ap-
point representatives TO the boards
created 10 settle controversies.
Extends Commission's Power.
Preceding final Showdown" by sep
day in considering numerous extern
stons of the powers Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Its last inn
mission in control of all capital issues
Of the roads. after members had de-
eiared that if similar provisions had
OF the .d!sgracefui financial disastcrs''
would have befallen several big sys-
tens.
The proposed new rule for rate
al er
ter fight Efforts to prevent the In
terstate Commerce Commission from
trastate rates. imposing I'm undue
burden on interstate commerce. were
defeated. BY, this section the House
enaeted enat into law The famous "shreve-
in the Southwest generally were in
creased TO remove 4 discrimination
round 10 have existed against Shreve-
port in favor OF Dallas
=, The railroad bill. as passed by the
House. does this:
Provides capital and insures the fl
nancial future Of the lines during the
period Immediately after private oper-
alton is renewed; creates machinery
FOR the voluntary conciliation of labor
troubles and extends Federal authority
over rail transportation by increasing
the power Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
Ordered to Seek Advances.
Federal control would end with the
month in which the bill is enacted
and rates continue in effect for six
months unless changed. Roads are
ordered 10 ask the Interstate Com
merce Commission for general rate ad-
vances within sixty days and govern
ment guaranty is denied carriers fail
ing to do so
AS a guaranty the government agrees
that the revenues of the carriers for
the first six months of renewed private
operation shall equal the standard re-
turn paid during Federal control as
rental for the use OF the lines. Short
line railroads and express companies
would also receive their guaranty
Government five-year loans at per
cent also may be obtained by lines
within twenty-siX months after the end
the provision s25o,0o0.00O is made ava IL
able.