The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-22
Regulation For All

Regulation For All
 To bring this about there must be some method devised for reasonable Federal supervision and regulation of wages and working conditions, and such regulation should eventually re- ceive the final approval from the same power that is responsible for the rates of fare and freight charged by
 the transportation agencies so that the question of income with which to pay will be considered at the same
 time and by the same final deciding g power as the outgO to be paid. Just as the government should have the power to prevent waseful use of the
 dollar invested, upon which the pub lie will be asked to pay a return through rates, so should the govern
 ment have power to supervise wages and conditions of service which ulti-
 mateIy are paid for by the public. through these same rates.
 Federal Power Supreme in Cases of Doubt
 | The power of final decision as to
 rates and practices must rest with the Federal government, and when it is to the interest of the nation as a whole to have a given basis of rates, or to adopt 8 given practice, rules and regulations of states, counties and municipalities must give way and
 must be subordinate to Federal power. Retain Any Benefits of Director Gen. l erals Management
 Any benefits resulting from the management of . the Director General should be retained where it is req ] ,1,r.- o1. l of a. permanent character and in the interest of the public in peace times. | The Dtreceor General names r re- forms that he thinks should be con | tinued and MT. KrJttschnitt has com
 mented on them in detail. Those that prove of permanent value can be car ried out successfully unGer private operation if the platform outlined to you by MT. Cuyler and MT. Thom is put into effect.
 Combinations Under Federal l Authority
 1 Railr pads and water carriers should
 be permitted to make agreements be- l tween themselves covering such prac- tices, as well as the making of rates 1 and the division of earnings, all for | the purpose of saving waste and giv- 1 ing better service to the public; but
 such agreements should be subject to
 close inspection, supervision, and ap-
 proval by Federal authorities.
 l Difficulties Under Present Situation The Director General. in his state
 ment and testimony, commented on
 some of the difficulties being encoun-
 tered in keeping up the organization and morale of the service, and inti-
 mated that unless the roads could be I kept for a. five-year period they ought | to be turned back promptly to their l owners because of the difficulty of handling the intricate business satis-
 factorily under present laws and con-
 d1tions for a shorter period.
 1 I can we'll understand the difficult
 ties confronting the Director General
 and his administration in view of the centralizatton of detailed managemen ent
 and operation.
 There is, however, 8 method of
 helping that situation that can be
 utilized very promptly. If all the in
 formation accumulated in the so-
 called ''Newlands Inquiry'' and that
 to be obtained from the Interstate
 Commerce Commission, state com
 missions, railroads and from other
 students of the situation, is utilized,
 does anyone believe that some conclu-
 sion cannot be reached within the
 period fixed by the present law,---
 that is, 21 months after peace?
 | If the desire and the will to accom- pIish this result is in existence, 1t can be obtained. and it should be obtained.