The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-12-22
.134 RAILROAD
 BILLS BEFORE
 THE CONGRESS

One hundred and thirty-four inn portant@ bills acectnS railroads (and many of lesser imporranceO are be- fore Congress; SS of which have been introduced in the House and 46 in the Senate. These bills pertain to almost every Dhase of railroad opera tion and traffic regulation.
 - IT the House bills have been intro- duced to prohibit discrimination on account of race. color, etc.. to pro- vide special transportation rates TOT school children visiting Washingto on i; to provide anti-strike laws; to require houses; to require reduced rates TOT military and naval forces and to abolish the Labor Board.
 Bills have also been introduced to prescribe new rates and fares for all railroads; to provide for health ana safety of employees; to provide for prompt adjustment of claims; to amend the Transportation Act; to re- store jurisdiction of all the states Tn regulating commerce; to provide sea sonal coal rates.
 To Re0eaI the Fair Return'' Clause.
 Another Set of proposed laws would repeal Section 15a of the TranSpor- tatiOn Act-a paragraph instructing the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion to provide, so near as may be, rates which will yield the railroads a fair return on the governments s valuation of their properties.
 
 promote the safety of employees and travellers on the railroads and to pro hibit- COngreSsmeen from acceptin g SratuitieS from railroad companies.
 One has been draawn to authorize the Interstate Commerce Commission to approve or diSaDDrOve all railroad contracts involving the construction or repair of locomotives and cars and maintenance work such as building, maintaining and repairing tracks and road ha1S nt facilities or equipment
 Other bills are intended to restore to state commissions such jurisdiction a $ they exercised over intra-State rate questions prior to the war: to require the railroads to issue nFaRage boks; to establish a board of railroad ad- justment for the settlement Of dis putes between carriers and em- plOyes: to require the interstate Com merce Commission to reduce freight rates on agricultural products and live stock 33 1-3 per cent. and to require the Labor Board to investi- gate the justness and reasonableness of wages.
 A resolution in the Senate calls for the appointment of a Joint Congress sional Commission to investigate the railroad situation; another author izes the Labor Board to rescInd its decision reducing the wages of rail- road employees effective last July; another authorizes the Interstate Commerce Com mmiSSiOn to give prior ifv in car service to cars for building materials.
 Numerous Railroad Bills in the Senate
 Tn the Senate bills have been in trOduced to provide for the creation and organization of a National Rail- way Corporation for car pooling and distribution of freight CTS: to repeaf Section 15a of the Transp ortation Act and to modify the so-Called rate making sections of the act so as to give the State commissions greater auahtrity in fixing rates
 Other bills have been drawn to au- thOrize the Interstate Commerce Com mission to fix seasonal rates on coal shipments: to require the railroads to make prompt settleTn enIS or claims {; to require the railroads to alter ex- is-inS methods Of making out bills-of- ladinE; to provide Tor the appoint meut of members of the Interstate Commerce Commission in such a way as will represent the geogra phical sections of the United States.
 Other proposed laws are designed to authorize the railroads to operat e trains under daylight saving time in those districts where daylight saving time is in effect; to prohibit the use of wooden cars. and to provide for ar extensive investigation of rates on citrus fruits,-RailrOad Data, Dec. 21.