Evening star., 1921-01-09
by G. GOULD LINCOLN.

"INKERING with the transpor-
tation system Of the country
is favorite pastime with
economists, financiers. poll
ticians and some railroad men. The
object of course. is to better the sys-
tenn. The suggestions that have been
made for this purpose are without
number. lowering on the horizon to-
day is the proposal for consolidation
of the railroad companies into a COM
parativeIy few great competing sys-
tens
The Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. acting in accordance with the
provisions Of the Cummins-Esch
transportation act. is at present work
ing on recommendations for the con-
solidation Of the various companies
into competing systems. The consol-
idations SO worked out by the COM
mission are not made compulsory by
the statute. The roads are left to
follow the recommendations or not.
according to their desires
Senator Cummfns' Intention.
In this connection, it may be said.
however. that Senator Cummins of
Iowa. chairman of the Senate inter-
state commerce committee, has in
cIuded in the program of railroad leg
islation which he expects to press
when the new Congress comes into
existence next March a bill to compel
the consolidation Of the roads along
the lines that shall be ed
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. When the Senate passed the
transportation act it included a pro-
vision for the compulsory consolida-
ton of the roads into from twenty to
thirty-five systems.
Pending the announcement of the
consolidation plan. which is to be
recommended bv the Interstate Com
merce Commission. II may not he
amiss 10 consider briefly Tire nia,-
which have been sre.rst~d r'-ead~
for the consolidation Of the roads II
the first place. number of suesas-
tfons were made. based noon tn.
eventual unification Of all the roads
into one system-eifher covering the
whole country or specific sertiors
| But the Transportation act as finally
put through by Congress calls fo-
which rather throws these plans into
the discard. unless the law should one
| day be amended
Plans for UniAcatfon.
These plans looking to unification
| into one system were:
1. The plan Of the Investors Pro-
times called the Amster pian. which
provided for a single syst~m under
government supervision. 1t was pre-
sented to Congress in the Lenroot
bill. introduced in the Senate
.. The plan put forward by Wal
tenn. with a national board supervis-
ing the present systems for the pur-
pose of comparison.
5. The Plumb plan. providing for a
single system under the control OF
representatives of the railroad en-
ployes and the government which was
introduced in the House in the shape
Of bill by Representative Simms Of
Tennessee, democrat.
4. The plan of Jules S. Bache for a
single company to control eighteen
regional companies that operate the
present railroad system.
S. The plan of George w. Anderson,
formerly member of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, which propos-
ed a single system to take over all of
the railroads. He presented it before
the House interstate and foreign COM
merce committee at the time the
transportation act was under consid-
Grafton.
g. The plan Of John NJ. Hart for the
consolidation Of railroads in separate
sections Of the country to form one
system.
Z. The second plan of Edward Hun
gerford for a regional division of the
consolidated systems. without compe-
tition.
Plans Being Considered.
There have been five plans present
ed-there may have been others be-
sides-that are in harmony with the
transportation act. passed before the
roads were returned to private owner
ship about a year ago. They are as
follows:
l. The plan of Daniel Willard, pres
ident of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road.
2. The plan prepared by E. w. Nc |
Kenna and L. G. Fritch. vice president
of the Rock Island lines, and the
and St. Louis.
g. The plan of T.. ]. Lisman. pro-
posed in an article in the Railway |
Age.
4. The first plan of Edward Hunger
ford, suggested in an article in the |
Saturday Evening Post. !
5. The plan of John e. Oldham,