The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-09
STATE BOARD ASKS FOR CONTROL OVER
 INTERSTATE RATES
Commission Petitions Con- greSS to Reduce Powers of Federal Body and Give
 Them to. States

Montgomery, March S.-(SpeciaL)- In formal resolutions adopted by the public service commission today, con- gress was urged to amend the federal transportation act so the authority of the state railroad commissions may De maintained over intrastate traffic and rates and all members of congress from Alabam were urged to Go everything in their power to have the law amended. Twenty-two state legislatures have already urged congress to make the change and the state commissions of all states have taken similar action.
 The Alabama commission declared that the authority now claimed by the interstate commerce commission is the greatest ever conferred on a board dur ing peace times and thar the exercise of it will develop the interstate com merce commission into a bureaucratic system repugnant to the American the ory of government" The resolution of the Alabama public service commits sion follows:
 'The interstate commerce commits sion through its interpretation of the transportation act 1920, has indicated it's purpose to assume for itself full and exclusive authority 10 regulate the railroads and all instrumentalities en- terfng into the field of transportation. and thereby to divest the legislatures of the several states of substantially all power to regulate tne intrastate rates and service of the railroads with in the respective states, and,
 RITREATICRACY FPAPFn
 Whereas, in conformity with this policy and acting upon what it claims to be the intent of congress in the enactment of section IS (4) of the transportation act, 1920, rne interstate commerce commission has made ord . CTS which seek to compel increases and other changes in intrastate rates in A number of states, without regard or heed to the protests of the governments of those states; and,
 Whereas, the authority it has as- sumed for itself permits the interstate commerce commission to wield the greatest power ever exercised by any body in peace times, which if allowed to take it's logical course must inev;- tably develop into bureaucratic sys- tenn repugnant to the American theory of government; and,
 Whereas, it is unjust and unneces- sary to permit the deyeiopment of a system which will compel citizen of Alabama or any other state either to torego relief for local ,ransportation problems or seek it sole,y through the interstate commerce commission at washington at great expense in time and money; and,
 IMPRACTTCABLE
 Whereas, before the passage by conSress oa Of the transportation act lszo, there was no serious conflict be- tween federal authority in the regula- tion of interstate commerce and state authority in the regulation of intra state commerce; and.
 nereas, all government, whether through federal or stare agency, Is directed to the sole end of promotinr the welfare and happiness of the peo- pie. 1t is our firm conviction that it ia nelther sound nor practical govern ment to deny to the people of the several states the undisEutable bene- Tits of state regulation of commerce within the states upon the assumption 'eHat to do otherwise may in some way De preJudicial to commerce between the people of the different states:
 PROTECT STATES
 Therefore be it resolved by the Ala bama public service commission. that It hereby respectfully petitions the eohSreSS or the United States to so amend the transportation act 1920. as 70 protect and preserve the powers of the several states with relation to in- trastate rates, services and facilities and the local affairs of the common carrlefs within the states, and to make such amendment or amendments in language so plain that the authority or the states in their respective terri tories shall be maintained without on- portunity for misinterpretatfon; and.
 be 1t further resolved. that the sec retary of this commission be, and hereby is, directed to transmit A cer- tltied copy of this resolution to each onited States senator and each repre- sentative in congress from Alabama. ietiring from the American army en- tered that of Serbia, and that the bol- SheYiStS in uiam of aIl faoto a--,L