The Washington herald., 1920-11-11
WANTS NATION
ITO PAY MONEY
|DUERAILROADS
U. S. Chamber Of Commerce
Says Government Owes
400 Million.
OLD PLEDGE IS CITED
Cash or Guarantee Needed
To Keep Up Equipment,
Appeal States.
1OLD PLEDGE IS CITED

Asserting that many railroads are
unable to secure funds. TO provide
new facilities and equipment. and
that vothers are threatened with
strikes because OF inability to pay
wages due employees under the
retroactive provisions Of the Rail-
road Labor Board. the Chamber OF
Commerce of the United states yes
terday appealed to the government
to md means to pay the 100000. 900
due the railroads under the Federal
guarantee that expired September l.
The appeal is the result>of rul-
ing by the Comptroller Of the Treas
ury that payment cannot be made
until each railroad has made nnai
accounting Of its losses under the
guarantee.
After the claims are fled the
Chamber OF Commerce points out In
q bulletin 1T will be necessary for
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to review and adjust the ac-
counts. In some cases this process
may require many months and psr-
haps years Meantime large sums
Of money which the government
agreed to pay the railroads during
the guarantee period viii be kept
from them.
s4so, o,ooo, 900 Sum Set.
"rhe total amount Of the oper-
ating deficit for all roads during
the guaranty period" says the
Chambers Railroad committee,
-was about s634.ooo. 900. OF this
amount approximately S234.ooo,ooe
has already been paid to the roads
in, the form of advances requested
before September l..1sao. The rail-
roads are, however, very much in
need Of the 500. .ooo.oe still due.
,Eone of them can expect that
their credit win be fully; RESTORED
AZ -oara bxsxH1 Hewx x<e schedule
whie1r &enf Tito effect September /.
-oa septAnber - the Secretary
Of the Treasury asked the Comp
trolier for an opinion in regard to
payments on certificates submitted
by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission certifying that certain
amounts were due TO make good TO
] the carrier the guarantee Of a
| standard return for the period of
six months after the Termination OF
Federal control.
Total Clafns Needed.
The comptroller advised the
| Secretary OF the rTeasuEy that the
payments can be made only after
4 carrier has submitted its entire
| claim under the guaranty and the
/ commission has ascertained the
amount due thereon
The Interstate Commerce Conn
mission interprets the law 10 mean
that il n the duty of the Commits
sion TO ascertain at the earliest
possible date definite amounts that
are due to the railroads and To
| certify these amounts to the Treas
ury for Immediate payments.
This the Commission has done,
hut. ON the advice Of the Comptrol-
Ter Of the Treasury. the Treasury
has refused TO make partial pay
ments and has asked that each road
4 be required to make nnal account
| ing before any further payments
are made
.It Is thus evident that the Comp
trolier Of the Treasury interprets
the guaranty provisions Of the
Transportation act In one way. and
the Interstate Commerce commis-
! sion interprets them in another; and
l that IL the amounts due to the rail-
roads are to be paid promptly these
two opinions must be reconciled on
some basis that will permit partial
payments"