Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-23
RAILROAD BILL.
PASSES SENATE
s34,0O0,00O. Relief in Near
Future Awaits Will
son Approval
PROBE is URGED
Saw Carriers Owe U. S. 81 ,292.U0O,OOo
Instead of Being Wronged iHwsead
Explains Need Y

washington, Feb. 23.--The Senate
passed yesterday, without record
vote. the bill directing the Secretary
of the Treasury to honor certificates
of .he Interstate Commerce Com
mission for partial payments OF
amounts due the railroads under the
provisions Of the Transportation act.
Pavmnat in the near future of ap-
proximately s340,000,000 to the
railroads now hinges on President
Wilson's approval of the measure.
Efforts made by several Senators
to amend the bill, as it passed re,
Gently in the House, failed. Con-
s:,;cration of .he measure opened the
gates wide for general discussion
of the transportation situation which
was rcarked BY condemnation OF ne
freight and passenger rates now
Being charged by the railroads.
Although he declared the Govern
r,ert should maintain its honor ari
pay the "foolish guaranty" Senator
La Toilette, os Wisconsin, urged ar
amendment under which no furlhcr
payments could be made to the vail
roads until investigation by the n.
tarstate Commerce Commission es-
tablished tina. they had not been
guilty of wasteful expenditures. The
amendment Was rejected by a vote
cf IA to 10.
1T : false. as false as he'll, TAFT
a., Va, roads, have been WI 2.c', BIZ
this Government" declared the Ms
consin Senator. in a long 50 cch in
which he praised w. G. McAdoo's
administration Of the Railroad Adj
ministration during Federal control.
The railroads owe the Government
1922, 100000, Senator La Fol!cttee
said.
Senator Townsend, describing the
situation which he said made the
bill emergency legislation, asserted
that the railroads, because Of re-
duced earnings, were entitled to
total payment of $600,000,000 2ndcr
the Goveinnent guarantee against
losses during the six months follow
ing the ending Of Government con-
troll. The carriers. he said, had re-
ceived $25s,000,000 of that amount
and Congress supposed in passing the
Transportation act that the balance
of approximately S35O,000,000 could
be paid them in installmepts, upon
certificates of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, though in the ma
ture of the case many settlements
cannot be completed in years"
The Comptroller of the Treasury
Senator Townsend further explained,
had ruled that final account must
be rendered the Government before
the roads could receive any addition
al amcants, and said this threatens
to bring about bankruptcy not only
of weaker railroads, but of many
business concerns which have sold to
railroads materials for which pay
mcnts cannot be made until the Gov
ernment acts"
Railroad credit in general, he said,
was endangered by delay.
The bill as passed would require
the Interstate Commerce Commission
to certify to the Treasury amounts
which it actually finds to be due rail
roads. regardless of whether these
constitute the entire claims of the
carriers. It further would require
the Secretary Of the Treasury to pay
out all sums so certified.
Leave Wage Question to Each Carrier
New York. Feb. 23.-The Associa-
ton OF Railway Executives yester-
day sent to the carriers letter rec
ommendin@ hat the matter of ad-
JuStlng WAGES Of common labor to
lower levels be left to the individual
railroads to carry out in accordance
with conditions prevailing in their
territory.
The letter. signed bv W. W. After
bury, chairman OF the labor commit
tee. and made public by Thomas De
Witt Cuyler, chairman Of the asso.
citation, So: forth that the carriers
have complained that they had beer
criticised for not reducing the pay o
their common or unskilled labor t
wage lere.s prevailing in other in
dustrieS.