New-York tribune., 1920-10-22

tion act, and based on wages and other
expenses in effect at tnat time
Additional Increases
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion carefully weighed the great mass
of testimony, both for and against the
increases, that was presented, but could |
not render a final decision logically |
until the terms of the Railway Wage
Board were available. AS soon as the |
latter did become known the railroads.
as they had been instructed to do, filed |
applications for additional increases to
cover the additional wage burdens i'm
posed by the board
Very promptly the Interstate Com
merce Commission handed down its de-
cision, and no one representing the |
railroads has been found who has ex-
pressed an adverse opinion regarding it. |
On the contrary, the decision has been
received with universal favor in rail- |
road and banking circles, and there is
good reason for believing that the ship
pers and the public, if they do not al |
ready think well of it, will come to do
so shortly. This because of a fuller
realization of the absolute necessity of |
higher rates if the carriers were to
continue to render service and meet
their obligations to their security
holders
One of the most gratifying features
of the decision is the spirit manifested
by the members of the commission
from the beginning to the end of the
document. In reality this is fully as
important in way as the actual per-
centage increases in rates that were
ordered.
Freight Congestion
AS recently announced those at the
0f ho ,jr of = |,
purpose going forward as rapidly as
they are warranted in doing They in
tend to expend $70O0OOO00 in round
numbers within the year following the
return Of the railways from the gov
ernment, to improve and expand the
facilities of the railroads, in order that
the public may have the service de-
manded, and to meet the needs of the
shippers.
A more or less congested freight
condition exists in CERTAIN important
industrial centers, because the rail
roads have not had the equinment with
which to move the large volume of
ira offered.
In good many cases the rt~r.a,re
OF help has ben an adverse factor
also The congestion is being relieved
gradually, nevertheless.
AS already indicated, a far better
l.
road officials and government officials
VINO nave directly to do with the rail
roads than ever before in the history
o1 our great railroad enterprises It is
uni fortunate, however, that there is not
the fuli degree of cooperation on the
part of railroad labor that is necessary
to satisfactory operation. 1t is wholly
IN the interest of labor, as we'll as of
the railroads and the public. that a con-
y TOW Il
should exist The sooner this is brought
about the sooner traffic and other CON
dltlons with respect to the railroads of
me United States viii approach more
closely to normal
No Need of Legislation
There is no immediate need of fur
ther Federal or state legislation with
regard to the railroads. 1t would be
well if much of it that is now on the
statute books were blotted out What
is needed is a continuance of the spirit
OF cooperation already noted and of the
expansion of this spirit still further.
There must be more cooperation also
on the part of the public. This has
been largely lacking in years gone by,
but it is sincerely to be hoped that with !
better understanding of the plans and
purposes of railway executives and of |
the government with respect to the
railroads cooperation now in evidence
from this source will be fully accorded. |
A new era for the railroads of this |
country has been ushered in. 1t re-
mains for all concerned to determine
whether it shall be carried to the fullest
frution or to come to an untmely end
Copyright. 1920 by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
(This is the elcrenth of series of
troclue articles on transportation prob-
lems by railroad presidents and chair
men. T. Dewitt Cuyler, chairman of !
the association of Roilrcay Erecutipes,