The Washington herald., 1922-02-10
CHAMBER VIEWS
Time UNRIPE FOR
RAILROAD AGENCY
National Council Passes
Resolution Opposing the
New Establishment.

Establishment Of q new govern
mental agency to Interest the public
IN railroad questions 10 inoppor-
tune. in the opinion of the National
council Of the Chamber of Com
merce Of the United States. Reso-
ietions were adopted at yesterdays
session Of the chamber held In the
washington Hotel
n recommendation by the ma
llon chambers railroad committee
/ that such a proposal be submitted
10 a referendum of the chambers
membership was disapproved. The
eouneif gave Endorsement to the re-
cent action of Secretary of Com
meree Hoover in appearing before
the Interstate Commerce Commits
Z SION as the representative OF the
public. and expressed the hope that
he Secretary would continue to
exercise the authority when circum-
stances make II appropriate.
Howard Elliott. of the Northern
Pacific Railway. In speaking Of the
railroad situation yesterday, said
In part:
The great manufacturing enter
prises. obbing enterprises. distrib-
uting business and the farmers
themselves had a chance during the
war. IL they availcd themselves of
IL. OF being very prosperous and
making large profits, and to make
additions to their plants, and many
Of them did avail themselves Of that
opportunity. The railroad had no
such chance. 1t barely kept alive.
Voice OF working Class.
Now. I was very sorry that two
OF the great national figures Of this
country, Mr.. Hoover and Mr.. Cum
Minis, in their very admirable dis
cussion of our dificulties, were not
willing to say even a few words
about the necessity of labor shar-
ing in the defation that is now In
process.
What is generally described as
labor has already been hurt by un-
employment and by some reduc-
tions in wages. That does not.
however. yet affect the great trans
portation industry to the extent IL
should IL what you want and what
I want and what nearly every econ
omist wants, a lower transportation
charge. is to be obtained. 1t would
seem to me that labor, through
some Of its great leaders, ought to
recognize that the defation process
Is going on and admit that II is here
and allow a lower unit of wage IN
many directions"
Walter S. Dickey. president. W. 8.
Dickey Clay Products Company. of
Kansas City. Mo, speaking to the
members, during the morning ses-
sion. on the railroad question from
the shippers viewpoint. said In
part:
interested In Freight.
II am trying to speak as one who
Is vItally concerned In the actual
everyday movement of a vast
amount of freight running to $4,000
carloads a year. My mind goes
back to three different times in the
recent past when that Western
country was totally prostrated be-
cause of the inability of the rail
carriers to furnish motive power
and cars. / think We all remember
how away back in 1906, the year
preceding the bankers panic, which
We all likewise remember. 1 think
thai there was almost a catastrophe
In our country because of the ina
biIity of the railcarriers to handle
the vast quantity of freight that
was offered"
T. C. Powell. vice president, Erie
Railroad Company. in speaking OF
the railroad situation and the pro-
posal to create the ONCE of a COM
missioner general of transportation,
said in part, during the morning
session:
We have too much regulation
, but a great deal of regulation has
been passed with the thought that
il would improve the conditions, and
where that has been wrong It has
been largely because there has been
a lack of real impartial informa-
fion"