New-York tribune., 1920-05-16
Suggest Drastic Steps, In
Guiding Curtailment of
Passenger Service if Nee
essary in Extreme Cases
Favor Priority
For Food Cars
Exercise of Emergency
Powers as i'm War Time
Held To Be Warranted

Nho111NHlOIN may 10 (By The
Associated Press).- Emergency &C
tion similar to that taken when this
country entered the war;" was asked
of the government to-day to help dig
the railroads out from under the worst
freight congestion since 1917.
A joint appeal to the Interstate Com
merce Commission by the association
of railway executives and the Ameri-
can Railroad Association declared the
freight jam to be such as to warrant
and require immediate use of that
body's broad powers under the trans
portation act in checking a menace
which had assumed threatening proper
tions.
Common use Of equipment and en-
bargoes, priorities and diversions of
shipments were urged by the railroads
as means which the commission could
employ to remedy the situation. The
roads ask also that they be allowed to
curtail passenger service where neces-
sary, but indicated this would be done
only in extreme cases.
Would Suspend Certain Laws
While the present conditions con-
tinue, the appeal said, carriers should
be relieved from operations of state
and Federal laws which hamper them
in meeting the demands upon them.
The commission was requested also
to set aside its regular policy of hold
ing formal hearings, to issue no formal
summons and to require no answer.
All of this should be done as a means
OF expeditng the effective dates of
orders given by the commission, it was
explained.
The railroad officials represented to
the commission that there was no i'm
mediate hope of obtaining ample equip
ment and that the volume of commodi
ties being offered for transportation
permitted no time for proper repairs
The labor situation has augmented tho
difficulties and does not promise i'm
mediate Improvement, they said. The
unauthorized strike of switchmen, the
petition stated, had contributed to the
"growing public distress on account of
delay in the movement Of freight"
There was no indication tonight as
to the commissions course. Its full
powers under the transportation act
have not been employed as yet. Of
ficials expressed a desire to "go the
limit" but limited they did not know
where this might lead. Study of the
traffic tie-up has been going on for two
weeks, but it was declared the commits
sio3ers might not have been fully
aware Of the gravity of the situation
until the petition Of the rail heads was
laid before them.
Broad Powers Conferred
The railroad men said the congestion
had reached point where the public
interest requires prompt use of the
commissions new powers. These, con-
ferred in the transportation act, per
init control over every phase Of the
railroad industry With the one exccp-
tion of actual physical operation
the government agency can direct the
management of the roads almost COM
pletely as did the railroad administra-
tlon under its war powers.
The railroads petition asked that
emergency powers of the commssio on be
employed so
"That necessary food, fuel and other
vital commodities directly affecting the
cost of living and the life and comfort
of the people may be given preference
THAT empty equipment, particularly
box, refrigerator, stock and coal cars
needed to move these commodities may
have like preference in movement to
those sections of the country where
they are currently needed for loading
Would Delay Some Loading
"That for these purposes, and under
orders and direction of the commits
sion, the carriers may be authorized SC
far as necessary to postpone or delay
loading and movement of other less i'm
portant commodities, including as to
the extent which may from time to
time be necessary the reduction OF
passenger service, and generally tc
take such other action as the commits
sion under exercise of its power may
find proper and necessary to currently
meet conditions.
"That to the extent the comms ssion
may find necessary and may authorize
the carriers may be relieved from the
operation of Federal and state laws anc
orders recognized as ordinarily eff
fective during normal transportation
conditions and governing the service Of
the carriers in the usual and ordinar,
conduct Of their public service, so that
in adopting and carrying out the orders
issued by the commission during the
present emergency the carriers may bt
protected against penalties and com
plants which would otherwise accrue
and be enabled to lawfully adopt ane
currently apply the necessary emer
gency measures as the commission may
order to relieve the present conditions.