New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-05
Railway Executives
Meet to Approve
Rail Control Plan
Reported Draft Proposes
Repeal of Antitrust Law
and Federal Regulation
of New Security Issues

Members of the Association of Rail
way Executives, representing 1872 trans
portation companies and 90 per cent of
the country'ss railroad mileage, will
meet at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in
Philadelphia to- day to receive from the
associations standing committee its
recommendations for returning the
various systems to private ownership.
1t is expected that the plan of the
standing committee will be approved
at this conference
While the features of the plan will
not be made public officially until they
have been presented to the Senate Com
mittee on Interstate Commerce during
the current hearings on the railroad
problem, it is understood that the fol-
lowing proposals will be made by the
witnesses who will appear in behalf of
the executives:
l. Return of the carriers to private
management within twenty-one months
after the declaration of peace, as pro-
vidcd by the Federal control act
2. Exclusive Federal regulation Of
rates, service and security issues.
3. Repeal of the anti-t trust laws as
applied to the railroads and ant-pool-
ing clauses Of the interstate commerce
act; enactment of laws giving the In
terstatc Commerce Commission or a
secretary of transportation the power
to order specific steps in the unfication
Of service, terminals, etc.
a. Provision by Congress or a rule
or test of the reasonableness of rates
for the use of the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
b. Creation of permanent wage
commission, with the requirement that
men essential to the operation of trains
may not strike within a certain num-
Der of days or months after notification
to this board.
With reference to the fourth pro-
posal it has been suggested that TIE
average net earnings of any given rate
group of railroads for the three test
years named in the Federal control act
be adopted as the normal return on the
average property investment of that
period, with an allowed variation above
and below it, additional capital invest
ment to be suitably recognized.
Another proposal in this connection
is that minimum and maximum rates
of return on property investment be
fixed by Congress and that some plan
lor limiting dividends be adopted to
meet the popular objection to raising
the general rate level while a few
companies are conspicuously prosper
Gus under the existing rates.
~. ~ oh, oC%y
to the suggestion of the Senate Inter
state Commerce Committee that only
one man appear to represent the rail-
way executives in their plea for re-
turn Of the carriers to private control
under Federal regulation, it is now eX-
pected their case will not only be pre-
sented by the general counsel, Alfred
P Thom but that there will also APP
pear 7. De Witt Cuyler, chairman of
the Association of Railway Executives;
Samuel Rea, president of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad; Howard Elliott, presl-
dent of the Northern Pacific; julius
Krutschnitt, president of the Southern
Pacific, and probably Daniel Willard,
president of tn Baltimore & Ohio.
In addition to the names mentioned
it is expected that the following will
be in attendance at to-day's gathering
in Philadelpha w. G. Besler, presi-
dent of the Central Railroad of New
the Missouri Pacific; E. G. auckland,
president of the New York, New Haven
& Hartford; R. NJ. Calkins, president
Of the Chicago Milwaukee & st. Paul;
Newman Erb, president of the Ann
Arbor; W. II. Finley, president of the
Chicago e. Northwestern; A. II. Harris,
vice-prcsident of the New York Cen
ri IF no
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; E. f.
LOOMS, president of the Lehigh Val
ley; c. A. Peabody president Of the
Illinois Central; w. H. Truesdale,
president of the Delaware, Lackawanna
l. Western; F. d. Underwood, presi-
dent of the Erie; Henry Walters, chair
man of the Atlantic Coast Line. and
Daniel Willard, president of the Balti-
more & Ohio.
The standing committee of the asso
citation includes Mr.. Cuyler, Mr.. Eli
schntt. Mr.. Loomis, Mr.. Peabody, Mr..
Rea, Mr.. Underwood, Mr.. Walters, DR..
Willard ard S. T. Bledsoe. ge eral
counsel of the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe; w. R. Cole, president Nash
Vile, Chattanooga & St. Louis; A. J.
Earring, chairman Chicago, Milwaukee
E. St. Paul; S. NJ. Feiton, Chicago,
Great Western; f.. NJ. Hyzcr. vice
president Of the Chicago & Northwest
ern; l.. E. Johnson, president of the
Norfolk g. Western; l.. f. Lorec, prcsi-
dent of the Delaware G. Hudson; Will
lam Church Osborn, president Texas
& Pacific; Bird NJ. Robinson. president
American Short Line Railroad Asso-
citation; w. L. Ross, receiver Toledo,
st Louis & Western; Henry Ruhlender,
president and chairman st. Louis-sal
Francisco; Frank Trurn bul'. president
Chesapeake e. Ohio. and Howard KEEL
icy, president Detroit, Ora d Haven g.
Milwaukee Railway. Grand Trunk w st
ern Railway and Atlantic e. st. Law
renee Railroad