Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-17
PREPARES DIGEST OF
RAILROAD BILL FOR GEN.
ERAL DISTRIBUTION.
WILL BE DISTRIBUTED
BY NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Explains That Bill Was Necessity to
Save the Railroads From Bank
ruptoy and That Liquidation 10 Not
compiete-Financial Problem One
That Had to Be Met.
peciai to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Sept II. Senator A.
B. Cummins has Just completed a
digest Of the famous C,lmmins-E sch
railroad bill. prepared fer the repub-
,hcan national campaign COMMITTEES
to be printed in pamphlet form and
used thruout the nation as campaign
material. The pamphlets will be used
In Iowa az campaign meterial In be-
half Of Senator Cummtn's re-elec-
ton.
Senator Cummins points out at the
beginning OF the digest that this par
ticular legislation was not a parti-
San measure. Prominent democrats
as well as republicans helped to
frame 1t and to pass 1t.
He sets forth that "the Transports
ton act Of 1920 was an honest, faith
ful effort to solve an economic and
Industrial problem and that party
interests and affiliations were entire
ly ignored thruout the whole tre-
mendous undertaking."
He explains further that every In
telliSent person knows that tho leg
islation upon the subject Is not
complete and that congress must go
steadily on dealing with other phases
OF the difficult problem and ! can
imagine nothing more unfortunate
than to allow these questions to be
controlled In the future by partisan
spirit. bias or prejudice."
Originally" he declares. "a bill
was framed by z, subcommittee OF
the Interstate commerce committee.
Upon this subcommittee of five there
were two distinguished democratic
senators. Hon. Joseph 7. Robinson.
OF Arkansas. and Hon. Atlee Pomer-
ene, OF Ohio. No matter what the
outcome may be desire to record
now with the utmost emphasis that
these two senator's had as much to
do with the transportation act as It
was finally passed as any other two
senators and that found myself In
accord with them oftener. probably,
than with any other members Of the
committee"
>Prohlems Had TO es Met.
He then takes up the problems
which those framing ths legislation
had to meet. rs well as the problems
which confronted the railroads and
the entire business Of railroad trans
portation.
'The sole object OF this measure
was to secure for the people the
transportation service which they
not only had the right te demand at
the hands OF the government but
which they must have II the country
II to prosper and when any one be-
gins to criticise the transportation
act, if he Is right minded he will. be-
fore he finishes his criticism, pro-
pose some other plan thru WHICH the
object We sought can be accom-
plished. s
ut was admitted by every person
interested In the subject that IL It
were possible there should be In
stantly put on the 100000 miles OF
rails at least 100000 more freight
carr. 5000 more passenger cars, 1000
more locomotives. with p:roportiondte
OF other facilities, be-
cause II these things could have been
Instantly created and installed the
system as a whole would have had
no more equipment than was reason
ably required to do the business OF
the country as It should be done.
AT the prices then prevailing, and
still prevailing for that matter, the
cost Of the additional equipment and
facilities which / have Just men
toned would have been somewhat in
excess Of $1,000. oo0, 900. We knew,
however. that these additions could
not be made instantly. III fact could
not be made within year even II
our entire manufacturing capacity
were employed for that purpose. It
was estimated after u careful sur.
vey that there could be added within
the year 1920 equipment and other
facilities which would cost something
like 3600, 100000. Our problem, there
fore. was to return the railroads 1o
their owners undsr such conditions