The Washington herald., 1921-07-15
AGAINST
RAILROAD CLAIMS
PETITION
Peoples Legislative Serv-
ice Head Opposes Allow.
ance of Huge Sum.
MANLY SPOKESMAN
Frank p. Walsh Will Act as
Counsel, if Hearings Are
Granted.

Bhsn NJ. Manly. director Of Peo-
pIs,s Legislative Service. yesterday
fled with the Interstate Commerce
Commission a formal petition pro
testing against the railroad claims
ON account of alleged inemciency
ofslabor and deficient maintenance
amounting to several hundred NH
lions Of dollars. The petition 2sAs
for the privilege Of cross-examin-
ine5railroai witnesses and introoue-
ing testimony and documentary eVl-
dence to prove the inVahdlty Oh
the. claims In presenting the Pc
ton Mr.. Manly stated that II near
ings were granted he would pc rep
resented by Frank =. Walsn as
counsel The petition reads as ioi-
lows:
.T am informed that the railroads
have presented to your honoraole
commission claims against the gov
ernment of the United states
Amounting in aggregate to HUNDREDS
of millions of dollars on account
of alleged ineficiency OF labor ana
defcfent maintenance during the Pc
rIoa OF government guarantee. 1
understand further that your hon
orabIe body is being strongly urged
TO approve these claims speeoiiy
yTithout the careful Investigation
and complete public hearings which
hats in the past characterized the
consideration OF cases involving only
= fraction of the enormous amounts
which the railroads are now seek
tns to secure from the public treas
urS'-
sT.k~ stand as Taxpayer.
"As a taxpayer upon whom a part
~ the burden of these claims upon
the treasury of the United states
Tiu he imposed. IL they should pc
Granted. and as the director OF the
P.onIe's Legislative Service. non
narttSan, nonpolitical organization
of ,bublic-spirited citizens. l desire
herewith to petition your honoraoIe
commission that before any anirm-
alive action is taken upon any OF
ALI Of these claims, l be permitted
either directly or through eounsel'
To examine the aboVe-men-
toned claims and all evidence pre-
scented to the commission by the
railroads or by their attorneys IN
support thereof;
To cross-examine witnesses ap-
nearing on behalf OF the railroads.
To present to the commission
Testimony and documentary evil
dencs in rebuttal of any claims sub
mitfed upon the aforementioned
,grodnds of labor inefhciency or de-
ficfent maintenance"
mis- charged that such claims
should never have been presented
to the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, and ii gives an opportunity
Mr.. Manly s prepared to prove
that they should be rejected for rea-
toaE which include the following:
Tnat they are without warrant OF
law.
THAT they are in large part false
and fraudulent
That they are as a whole based
nat upon ascertained or ascertain
able facts, but upon extravaSant
estimates and suppositions-
That they are contrary to the
fahts contained in the sworn state
ments filed with your commission
by the railroads during the period
in, which the inefficiency of labor
and the deficiency OF maintenance.
unon which such claims are based.
is alleged to have taken place.
That they constitute a deliberate
program of the railroads to onset
their obligations to the government
by-creating fictitious claims. which
may be prosecuted Indefinitely, or
unrft time and insistence have given
them an appearance Of reality.