Cheyenne record., 1921-05-12
INVESTIGATION
STARTED BY u. S.
SENATE COMMITTEE OPENS IN
vEsTleATIoN ON ALL
r.,... RAILROADS.
ACT TO SOLVE PROBLEM
UNION OFFICIALS AND ExEcu'
TlvEs WILL BE CALLED IN
TO TESTIFY.
Western Newspaper Union News ser'iee')

Washington, May 1O.-lnvestigation
Of the railroad situation mas peeh
opened by the Senate interstate coh''
merce committee. julius kruttschhit''
chairman of the board of the South
en Pacific Company, was the first
| witness.
Presentation of the railroad case
will be under the general charge OF
Alfred P. Thom, general counsel Tor
the Association of Railway Executives,
and besides Mr.. kruttschnitt, other
railway executives to appear will in
clude Daniel willard, president of the
| Baltimore & Ohio railroad. The COM
mittee also will call officials of the
railroad unions and others.
In a statement outlining what the
railroad managers expect to stress, L.
Dewitt Cuyler. president of the Asso-
clation of Railway Executives, said
that the executives were "strainlng
every nerve so to reduce their ex-
penses that they may be able at the
earliest possible moment to ADJUST
rates to change economic conditions
and certainly to the end that no in
diyidual rate shall be so high rs to
Interfere with the normal movement
of commodity"
Declaring that the transportation
act had mot broken down. lie said
that the mamnagements did not ap-
proach Congress asking for any amend
ments In existing Legislation.
''They desire to make clear he
said, their present situation and the
measures they are taking and propose
to take to work their way out"
The statement in part follows:
"The Association of Railway Execu-
tives welcomes the inquiry undertaken
by the Senate.
"In general way, the following will
Indicate the spirit which will pervade
the testimony to be offered by the
railroads:
1.-The transportation service of this
country is passing through crisis.
"Feeling, rs we do, that the world
has turned the corner Of its most acute
depression, so we feel that the rail-
road situation has likewise passed
through its darkest hour.
"The present difficulties of the rail-
roads are not due to the transpOrta-
tiOn act and the transportation act
provides effective machinery for rem
edying, In SO far rs 1t may be done by
national legislation, the difficulties in
which the railroads now find them
selves.
1.-THE railroad managers regret that
the operation of inexOrable economic
laws make II necessary that railroad
wages should be reduced, but the man.
ayers have no fight with their en-
plOy9s and the supreme aim Of every
railroad management in America today
is to establish Its relationship with its
employees on basis of friendship and
cooperation.
1.-THE Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has clenr understanding Of the
real nature Of the American transpor-
tation problem.
1.-THE public also is manifesting dis
position actively to cooperate with
railroad managers.
Railroad managements are fully
aware Of the feeling in many quarters
that certain railroad rates are exces-
sive, and the unremitting effort Of the
railroad managements Of this country
is to provide service of such economy
and efficiency that 1t can be rendered
at a rate which will promote the move
ment of the largest possible amount of
traffic.