The Colorado statesman., 1919-11-15
SENATE And HOUSE WILL PASS
CUMMINs AND EScH BILLS
BEFORE VERY LONG.
COINCIDE IN MANY RESPECTS
Both Seek to Prevent Strikes-Former
Provides for Creation of Federal
transportation Board, but This
May Be Changed.
ey JAMEs p. AoRNApAY.-

of Senator Cummins of Iowa, chair
man of the committee on Interstate
commerce, and the house will pass
bill which will bear the name of Rep
resentative, Esch of Wisconsin. chuir-
man of the committee on intersta'e
and foreign commerce. These bills as
they will 20 TO the respective legisla-
tive branches will in some respects
be Identical, but there will be subs.un-
tial differences which will have TO be
ironed out in conference.
1t seems reasonably certain now
that the principal difference will he
that the sennte bin will contain II pro-
vision for the creation of II transpor-
tation board which will take over the
administrative functions of the inter
state commerce commission and leave
the commission the ,rate-making pow
ers which ii now has. The house bill
in It's present form does not contain
any provision for the creation of
transportation board, and II majority
of the members of the house commit
tee on interstate and foreign com
merce have expressed themselves in
HNDT 0I ftlIPiTilS bIl. lit
commerce commission full authority
in the matter of the regulation of the
railroads.
The senate bill prescr.beS definite
rule for rate making and makes pro-
vision for the distribution of excess
earnings. rhe bill provides that the
Interstate commerce commission shall
prescribe rates that will yield J12 per
cent on the aggregate property value
of railroads in Il given rate-making
group. To this may he added one-half
of I per cent for unproductive i'm
provements. Should any road earn
more than 6 Der cent on the value of
its property the excess earning would
be divided equally between the car
rier earning the money and Il contin-
gent fund in the transportation board.
Both Provide Against Strikes.
Both bills as they will 90 from the
committees 10 congress for considera
tion will contain provisions designed
to prevent the transportation systems
from being tied up by nationwide
strike The Senute committee has
voted to insert in its bill a provision
making 1t unlawful for railroad em-
ployees to strike. The house commit
tee has gone only so far as to provide
for the creation of tribunal which
would have the final word in disputes
between the employer and the EN-
ployee. One of the matters still in
controversy is as to whether legisla
tion shall be attempted which will to
oh ha ontbnrify nf
the states over intrastate rates andsthe
regulation of purely intrastate com
merce.
Both bills In their present form
contain provisions designed to stabil
ize the rate situation during the
period Immediately following the sur
render of federal control. There is
little doubt that the final bill will
contain a provision. that existing rates
Interstate and intrastate-shall re-
main in effect until changed by either
the interstate commerce commission
or the state commissions.
The final bill as passed will greatly
enlarge tine regulatory powers of the
government over matters relating TO
car service. terminals, pooling of facil-
tiles, etc If a transportation board is
created those regulatory functions will
be vested in 1T; if the Interstate com
merce commission remains as the sole
regulatory body. bureaus and sub
divisions will have to be created by 1t
to take care of additional work
1t is practically certain that If
transportation board is not created
the membership of the Interstate com
merce commission will be increased
from nine to eleven or thirteen mem
bers. Congress is confronted with n
somewhat widespread demand that
the government shall surrender the
railroads to their owners at the end of
this calendar year. The railroad com
| missioners of the various states who
met in annual convention in Indian
| apolis recently adopted resolution
| asking that the transfer be made ei'at
| the end of the year. and congress al
ways gives consideration to resolu-
| tion with the states behind 1t in such
| an expressive way. But there are
many obstacles in the way of d.spos-
| ing of the railroad legislation between
now and January l.
To Extend Vocational Training.
Further extension of the educa-
| tional activities of the federal gov
ernment is provided by congressional
| legislation now nearing the finish
ing stages. Just before the United
| States entered the war congress made
| provision for vocational education for
normal people. in cooperation with
the states. Under that legislation large
| sums are now being spent annually
for vocational educational work, the
| government paying one-half the ex-
| pense and the state, If it chooses to