The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-09-23
PAGE FOUR
NATIONAL CAPITAL

A good deal OF political dishonest!
is noticeable in the campaign In which
congressman who voted for the pas
sage of the Cummins-Esch railroad law
are pictured as having betrayed tn
people. II is not strange that all tn'
wildeyed radicals who have stood ioi
government ownership, bolsheyism ant
socialism. should be found opposing
congressman on this ground, but IL u
manifestly unfair that attempts shoulC
be made TO influence sane voters Dy
misrepresenting the transportation
act. The Cummins-Esch measure was
as necessary TO the welfare OF tht
country as the appropriation blIs ioI
the maintenance Of the postal ser
vice, the agricultural department, O
construction and the maintenance cl
all the regular functions OF the led
eral government.
While the European war was gong
on, and before It looked as though we
would be compelled TO enter Il,
the president urged congress IN ms
messages to devise legislation TO
strengthen government control OF the
transportation system. The NeWlandS
commission was created and it CON
sisted Of representatives from the SEN
ate and the house Of representatives.
Hearings were held and every inter
est in the country sent delegates 10
Washington. The distributing condi-
tons of our entry into the war pre-
vented the contemplated railroad leg
islatiOn. IL became necessary Tor the
government to take over the railroads
and operate them throughout the war.
Had the Newlands' commission been
organized a year earlier it wouid like
ly have framed legislation that would
have made the government operation
OF the roads unnecessary. When the
war closed chaos was rampant, and
the government found itself running
the lines at a tremendous loss, which
could only be made good by taxation
imposed upon the country.
At this point the president again
appealed to congress. and both houses
held extensive hearings. II seemed
as though everyone in the country
who ever had anything TO do with
a railroad appeared in Washington TO
tell the Cummins' committee OF the
senate and the Esch committee Of the
house how to solve the transportation
v~nhIan, Aftar nnnnfhc nf tho mnQt
intensive study of the situation by
practically every democratic and re-
publican member of the two houses
the necessary law for restoring the
lines to their owners was finally
passed. The prevailing spirit in con
gress all the way through was TO pre-
vent the railroads from getting more
than was right" while protecting at
the same time every interest of the
people Of the country against the sur
render OF any principle, particularly
with regard TO the recognized right OF
the government to exercise full con
troll over the entire transportation sys-
TEN OF the country. The final meas
ure, as passed, contained exactly two
guarantees: One a guaranty that the
owners Of the railroads should for a
period o. six months receive a mini
mum return equal to the amounts they
received during federal control, and
the other a guaranty that the EN-
ployees of the roads should for a like
period receive a minimum wage equal
10 that which they received under
federal control. Who could honestly
object TO such an arrangement? The
guarantees were necessarily backed by
% to taxation.
/. II was left to the Interstate Com
merce Commission and the Railroad
Labor Board, both official bodies, to
figure out what the amounts OF oper-
ating the railroads under the methods
of government control amounted to,
and what the amount OF wages should
be to give full compensation to rail
road operatives. This has been done,
and by and with the help of the state
railroad commissions the permanent
railroad plan is being put into opera.
ton. Direct taxation OF the taxpayer
will be discontinued, and the rates
have been readjusted In such a way
as to make the transportation system
OF the country self'supporting, like
any other legitimate business.
The whole proceeding has been one
commencing itself as the most eff
Gent and constructive legislation
known In many years. Every man in
congress who helped to put this legis-
lation through Is entitled to praise
for the achievement, and r6thing but
ignorance or dishonesty can hold up
the Cummins-Esch act to the public
view in any other light.