The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-09
LOREE HAS NEW
RAILROAD PLAN
Head of Delaware and Hudson
Would Revise Interstate
Commerce Law.
CHANGES ONLY AS NEEDED
Proposes Decentralization Of
Regulative Power as Chief
Feature Of Scheme.

I. p. Loree, president OF the Delaware
pared. in the form of Congressional
bin, a plan for revising the Interstate
commerce law, under which the rail-
roads of the country will be enabled TO
earn sufficient funds to command the
confidence Of investors. Among the
chief proposals of the plan Is that for
the decentralization OF regulative power
and the prompt and equitable ADJUST
mont of claims arising out Of Federal
control and restoration Of healthy COM
petition, with private responsibility and
private reward. subject to effective
means for the prompt correction OF any
rates found unreasonable in themselves
or unjustly discriminatory"
The plan suggested by President Loree
follows the present law as closely as the
necessities of the situation will permit.
Mr.. Loree pointed out declaring that II
10 offered "in hope that proposals based
on forty years service, involving per-
sonal acquaintance with problems dealt
with, under many and varied conditions
and In many aspects. will prove to he
suggestive and helpful"
The eleven chief features OF the plan.
a. outlined by Mr.. Loree, are as follows:
Extension of the power OF the Inter-
state Commerce Commission to cover
State rates which In any way anect IN
terstate commerce.
i Extension Of the power of the Inter
state Commerce Commission to labor dis
putes, requiring that wages and condi-
tons Of employment shall be Just and
reasonable Employees should be for
hidden to conspire to interrupt interstate
commerce. Strikes should be permitted
only on condition that the dispute must
first have been submitted to the Inter
state Commerce Commission, and subse-
ouent to its decision or its failure to de-
eide within six months there must vote
TO strike, which vote should be by secret
ballot on a question defined by the COM
mission, the taking and counting OF the
vote being supervised by the Bureau OF
Interstate Transportation.
would BE Adjudicating Body.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
shall become wholly an adjudicating body.
the terms of Office Of the commissioners.
after the retirement Of those now III
ONCE, to be extended to nine years, and
the division OF the country into hve
interstate commerce regions, following
the natural traffic divisions of the United
states. one commissioner to have his
Office in each region, leaving three TO SIT
in Washington. Commissioners as
signed to regions should perform only
such duties as may be devolved upon
them by the three remaining in Wash
ington, these three to exercise all the
powers of the commission except those
thus provided for.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
shall be required. as soon as practicable,
to fix either for the United States as a
whole or for each interstate commerce
region the percentage by which existing
rates ought generally to be increased
In order to meet expenses and provide
proper revenues No rates not exceed
ing the present rates by more thar
these percentages should be regarded
as unreasonable in themselves, but any
rate may be condemned in case 1t IL
found to produce unjust discrimination
Until these maximum percentages are
made effective the Secretary of the
Treasury should pay to each system, sur
rendered from Federal control, the diff
ference between the actual income anc
the standard return under the Fedora
Control Act II the actual income Is less
The power to suspend rates pending
Investigation should be abolished.
A bureau OF Interstate transpOrts ton. I,
! operate under the direction of a chief Il
Be- designated from among the member
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission
but this commissioner during the periot
OF such designation not to perform an.
duties as commissioner. This bureau
should take over all the executive ant
administrative functions of the coramis
!, sion-
, Transporta tfon Would Pay for Ads
The Interstate Commerce Commission
shall no longer be permitted to institute
proceedings OF it's own volition, blu
provides that the bureau of interstate
transportation. as we'll as State commits
sions, trade organizations, individuals