Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-26
MONDAY, JANUARY Is, 1920.
Cousrces and Railroad Bill.

Schate and House conferees on the
Railroad bill seemingly are in deadlock,
With little poesibilit| of compromise
which will enable the Congress TO ap-
prove of final legislation in time to get
the roads back TO private ownership by
Mardh 1, as ordered by President Wilson
.through public proclamation. This fact
has been admitted by Senator Cum
minsj chairman Of the Senste committee,
and Sleo by Representative Esch, chair
man bf the House committee. Aside from
these admissions, the situation IN the
comnAittee is such that If pants picture
Of fhoIelessness which could not be hidden
teven hough effort was made.
Despite the ten or eleven months IN
which Congress has struggled with the
Railroad bill, the result is complete
failure TO agree upon measure which
would receive the unqualified support of
CongIess and of the country. The result
is criticized by both Republicans and
Demo- Gratis as frank confession of the
incap4city of this Congress, under its
present. Republican leadership, to handle
any gteat constructive question such SIS is
the railroad question.
The contention in Congress has re-
suited from the effort of the Republicans
in the|Ssnate TO frame bill which would
urant Icertain favorable consideration to
the railroads, and the refusal of the House
Republicans to submit to such an attitude
on theI railroad question. The Senate bill
provides for guarantee of earnings up TO
6 per cent of the valuation of the roads,
and hAs an additional provision that all
earnings in excess of 6 per cent shall be
put into contingent fund TO be dis
tributeid TO all the roads as the necessity
arises. In other words, the Senate bill
provides that the powerful roads shall be
compelled to assist the less prosperous
ones.
Railroad owners themselves have split
on this question with the owners OF securi-
ties supporting the Senate provisions for
division of excess earnings, and the owners
of prosperous roads insisting this division
cannot be .egally forced upon them.
Members of the House of Representative
are opposed both TO the guarantee OF
earnings and to the division of excess |
earnings; that is, the majority member |
ship in the House, as reflected by the |
House conference committee, is opposed |
to both PROVISIONS. Neither side apparent |
" will retire from the position has taken, |
though from day 10 day there comes |
compromise. As to the anti-strike iegis- |
lation in the Senate bill. IT is understood |
the Senate committee stands ready to |
support this provision to the last as
necessity, though willing to surrender it /
f the House will surrender on It's opposi-
tion to; the guarantee Of earnings and
DIVISION of excess earnings.
Daily the committee members have
gone into conference, and daily they have
walked Al. around the question of earnings,
and daily they have left the conference
room refusing TO request guidance from
their ssociates in the House or from the
executive department. And so the matter
drags alpng. Meanwhile the announced
date forIthe return of the railroads draws
nearer. THE people are deeply interested,
az therd seems to be no doubt 3 large
MAJORITY Of them are favorable to a re-
turn of the railroads to former manage
ment. under regulations that will be fair
10 the railroad mpanies and assuring to
the natural concern of the public But it
seems hopeless to look to this do-nothing,
partisan Congress for such work of re-
constructive postwar legislation.