Evening journal., 1919-06-03
Railway Rescue Plans
Grow More Promising
Trom INC \ ew York sun.

Chairman Cummins. Of the Senate
Committee on Interstate Commerce, has
problem 10 solve as important and at
the same time as dlincult as any prob
lem Of peace that ever faced the coun-
try.
II is easier 10 plan railway than
TO build one. Any cheerful idiot Will
try IT, u would be easier to build sey-
eral railroads than to rescue the exist
ing railway system from The plight to
which 1t has been brought by the
dreadful Interstate Commerce Commits
sion before The war and afierward by
prepostcrous Government operation. or
senator Cummins, engaged on this
colossal job, 70 is a pleasure TO say that
as be makes progress with his plans
they give more and more promise OF
eventually hitting the mark.
Tho latest development or senator
Cummlns general program conicm-
plates new railway authority De-
parlment Of Transportation-which in
this situation Is imperaiNely necessary.
The first step must be 90 hamstring
The old Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. The railroads never can be saved
through the old commission or any
Thing like IL. Private capital. without
which The roads cannot be huilt mp 10
their previous usefulness. never will go
into railroads as long as they are under
he fatal shadow NJ the Interstate Com
mercc Commission The American peo-
pie viii never give political support 20
any policy That proposes 90 continue the
possibility of the laundering. the mis-
chief and The destruction so long and
So lerrincally wrought by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission.
In aiming 10 establish an authority
which can and will care for the phvsi-
cal preservation Of the roads and thus
care for the requirements Of the public
dependent upon The efficiency Of those
roads Mr. Cummins shows that before
he is through with this gigantic task
he can. If he viii. overcome a fundamen-
tai weakness which still remains in his
plans This is the provision that a rail-
way system shall get q guaranteed
minimum dividend whether iis man
agement is good or bad, whether % de-
serves it or does not deserve 10. while
a system ihat is well managed that has
rich returns because 10 earns them In
the truest sense-by perfect equipment.
splendid organization, work. efficiency
and brains shall mol receive more than
per cent. no matter how much higher
its earnings are. such a scheme, as we
have said before. would not merely Kill
incentive; 10 would prevent the eXten-
sion and enlargement Of transportation
irackage and facilities necessary 10 keep
up with the growth Of the country
Every business that continues TO he
successful finds it necessary 10 plough
in a great part Of its earnings. Whether
an these earnings are paid out in divi-
dends or whether all Of them beyond
a fixed dividend are paid out as taxes
or distributed as bonuses or separated
in any other WAY from the property
Itself the business cannot grow as n
ought IN grow, the property cannot re-
main sound as it ought 10 remain
sound
In the long run the finances Of the
railways must 70 from had 10 worse,
the service rendered 10 the public must
become less and less effective. the tax
burdens upon the public must become
more and more CALLING il every time a
system needs to build a thousand miles