Arizona republican., 1919-01-10
THREE PLANS CLAIM CONGRESS- ACTION IN RAILROAD PROBLEM
Railroads Have One-Com- merce Commission Anoth-
 CT - McAdoo Five-Year Plan Third-Others Come
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-Three we'll defined proposals for legislation dealing with railroads are before congress.
 Railroad executives today presented to the senate interstate commerce con- mittee their plan, calling for private ownership and operation under regula- tion of secretary of transportation new cabinet officer-With statutory guarantee of adequate earnings, rates to be proposed by the roads and sub ject to review by the secretary of trans portation and interstate commerce com mission, and with the cabinet officer authorized to supervise pooling of equipment, common use of terminals, re-routing of traffic, mergers, construc- tion of ne wines and issuance of se- curities.
 Previously, the interstate commerce commission had suggested a policy of private ownership and operation under government regulation.
 Director General McAdoo had advo- cated continuation of government con- trol for five years, and as an alterna- tive, early relinquishment of the roads from federal management.
 Shippers and representatives of state railroad commissions are the two prin- cipal groups which have not yet pre- sented their views to the senate com mittee.
 CuyIer States Objection.
 Among the objections expressed by senators today, to the railroads plan, outlined by T. Dewitt Cuyler, chair man of the Association of Railway EN- ecutives, was that if government super vision were vested principally in sec retary of transportation, politics might play large part in railway policies, and there might be no constant policy con tinuing through the changes of ad- ministration.
 Another objection was that if the railroads are guaranteed an adequate return, they should not also have power to determine rates, even though these rates were subject to veto by the sec retary of transportation and modifica- tion by the interstate commerce com mission. Senator Underwood of Ala bama suggested that the government should have the authority to dictate de- tails of the rate structure.
 One Man Plan Better.
 The railroads attitude as explained by MT. Cuyler, who is a director of the Pennsylvania railroad, is that the regu- latory powers given the secretary of transportation and the interstate con- merce 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 origin ally. Several senators expressed belief that this issue would be among the fore most in drafting of legislation. Mir. Cuyler argued that the advantage of having one man as the principal governmental supervising agency is, that he would act more quickly than a commission, in approving or disap- proving rates proposed by railroads, and would expedite general matters Of railway administration.
 Members of the interstate commerce commission will testify further tomor- row. Later the committee plans to hear Alfred P. Thom, general counsel of the Association of Railway Executives; Julius Kruttschnitt, chairman of the Southern Pacific; Daniel Willard, pres ident of the Baltimore and Ohio; How ard Elliott, chairman of the Northern Pacific; Samuel Req, president of the Pennsylvania, and S. T. Bledsoe, gen. eral counsel for the Santa Fe.