Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-03
RECORD SPEAKS
ON R. CASE
Urges Government to Take
Over Railroads and Mines
SPEAKS at Railway

RAILWAY, Aug. 3.-While COM
intending the spirit behind the prop
osition of United States Senator
n BCrah and the purpose prompting
Senator Borah's move to estaohsn
regulation of railroads,
George L.. Record, talking here last
evening, condemned the plan as III
effective. He said that regulation
has been tried and 1T has always
failed to curb monopoly control. ~
urges as a substitute plan that me
government take over all rallroaus
and coal lands in the country. anu
\iease them to competitors OF me
krust upon moderate royalties.
Record talked in his big tent al
Railway, prosecuting his
for the Republican
against Senator Joseph 5. Frenag-
huysen. He expressed confidence
that he will beat the present senator
at the primaries in September ono
declared he will continue to MAKE
an issue of the trust monopoiy ques
ton throughout the campaign.
Toward the close of his speech last
evening Mr.. Record said: d.,
Senator Borah has come forward
in the senate with a proposition 10
establish a coal commission with the
general idea of applying the princl-
pie of regulation through this COM
mission to the coal business. inc
senator says hat it is as much IN
the interest of the public that a
necessity of life like coal should pc
regulated as that the railroads
should be regulated.
There are many objections to the
plan. In the first place regulation
has completely failed up to late 10
Ak reasonable railroad rates II the
present railroad strike is the hrst
outcome of the attempt of the Rail-
road Labor Board to reduce wages.
If we set up another commission 10
control the coal trust that commits
sion will be appointed by the Presi-
dent. The men President Harding
would appoint would be conserva-
tive, if not reactionary, and would
take the point of view of the coal
rust. These appointees would have
to be confirmed by the senate, which
is a reactionary body as at present
constituted. Therefore We would
probably start with a commission OF
men who take the point of view or
the coal trust. If by chance the
ncommission took the opposite point
bf view and attempted to fix a price
Sfor coal at the mines or at tide
water, which was objected to by the
trust. as any reasonable price would
be, the rust would Immediately
take the price fixing order unto the
federal ourts alleging that 1t OPP
Grated to confiscate their capital and
property. Then would commence n
of these long drawn out iitigatlons
with expensive lawyers on the part
of the trust. and salaried lawyers
employed by the government OFF,
Gals on the side of the public. Long
before the controversy was settled
the administration would change n
the public would lose all interest in
the controversy.
Senator Borah is a liberal and by
this legislation actually desires to
help the people, but if there is any
thing which forty years of expert
eNce teaches, it is that regulation
as a. weapon to injure the trust is q
broken reed.
THE way to destroy the coal trust
is to take away it's power to rob the
public. That power is in the pri-
vate ownership of railroads and in
the possession of all of the anthra-
cite coal lands and the best deposits
of bituminous coal in the country.
There is no example in history
of the successful regulation of a pri-
vate monopoly. The way to destroy
the trust is for the government TO
own the railroads and to acquire
lands containing coal and lease them
out to competitors of the trust upon
moderate royalties. The day of in
vestigations and of futile regulation
has passed. The public demands
action and results"