Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-01-10
HAS
 THREE PLANS TO CONSIDER
In Settling Future of Rail roads in America; Nc Adoo's Plan Pending.

Washington, Jan 9-Three well de- fined proposals for legislation dealing with railroads now are beforer con- gress.
 Railroad executives today present ed to the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee their plan calling for pri- vate ownership and operation, under regulation of Secretary of Trans portation-a new cabinet office with statutory guarantee of adequate earnings, rates to be proposed by the roads and subjec to review by the secretary of transportation and Inter state Commerce Commission and with the cabinet officer authorized to su pervse pooling of equipment, common use of terminals, re-routing of traffic, mergers, construction of new lines and issuance of securities.
 Previously, the Interstate Com merce Commission had suggested a policy of private ownership and oper- ation under government regulation.
 Director General McAdoo had ad- vocated continuation of government control for five years, and as an al-
 
 roads from federal management
 Shippers and representatives of state railroad commissions are the two principal groups which have not yet presented their views to the sen- ate committee. 'b
 Among the objections expressed by senators today to the railroads, plan outlined by T. Dewitt Cuyler. chair man of the Association of Railway executives, was that if government supervision were vested principally in Secretary of Transportation, pol .itics might play a large part in rail- road policies. and there might be no i constant policy continuing through the changes of administrations These questions were raised by Senators Cummins, of Iowa, and Smith, of l South Carolina.
 The railroads attitude, as explain ed bv MT. Cuyler, who is director of the Pennsylvania railroad. is that the regulatory powers given to the Secre- tary of Transportation and the Inter- state Commerce Commission, would | be sufficient to- protect the public against unjust rates or inadequate service, and that railroad men. by long experience, are best qualified to propose rates originally. Several senators expressed belief that this is- sue would be among the foremost in drafting of legislation.
 MT. Cuyler argued that the advant- age of having one man as the princi- pay governmental supervising agency is that he would act more quickly than commission in approving or disap- proving rates proposed by railroads and would expedite general matters of railway administration.
 Wage and employment disputes which could not be settled between employees and arrangements would be referred to an adjustment board with in the department of transportation I under the plan,. and strikes and lock- outs forbidden pending investigation.
 Most operating reforms effected during unified management by the railroad administration would be con- tinued but the executives object to Director General McAdoo's proposal for five years extension of govern ment control. Their suggestions are l similar to the recommendations of the Interstate Commerce Commission pre- scented to the senate committee at hearings earlier this week.
 Railroad executives have pledged Director General McAdoo their coop eration and have urged him not to re- linquish federal control until congress has had opportunity to legislate, Mir. Cuyler declared.
 1 Mir Cuyler explained that the asso- citation of railway executives reprse- !, sented 93 per cent of the railway mil cage of the country and including vir- tually all big lines except the South ern railway.
 Interstate commerce commissioner Edgar E. Clark explained to the com mittee today that in his sta+"m""t yesterday urging that congress and not the president should determine when the railroads are to be returned to private control, he had not meant to criticise congress for giving the president originally authority to re- linquish the roads at his will.
 Questioned by senators, Mir. Cuyler said future wages, in case roads are returned to private control, must de- pend On trade conditions. He added that the railroads probably could not do business proftably under private control with t'.e pres, lit scale 0t rates, wages anu cost of materials.
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 GOVERNMENT FORCES
 AND STRIKERS FIGHT
 Buenos Aires, Jan. 9.-Another bat tie between the strikers here and the government forces began this after noon at the vasena Iron Foundry Meanwhile, the strike movement is lspreadinK Aand more than 50 unions