Evening star., 1922-02-19

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tion is being stirred up.
v The safe and sane answer
is. Stop harassing the railroads and
give them a chance to work out their
own salvation in cooperation with
the existing federal agencies, the In
terstate Commerce Commission and
the Railroad Labor Board.
In other words. the business inter-
ests, the Congress. the railroads them
selves and economic students have
come to pretty general realization
that it is high time to stop fiddling
with the railroads and to let their fu-
ture be worked out as an economic prob
lem rather than as a political one.
x n 4 +
Here is the basic fact that must
never be lost sight Of. The transpor-
tation industry is the great artery
through which flows the lifeblood of
our economic life. All other indus
tries, the entire business Of the coun-
try. is absolutely dependent upon the
railroads. AS agriculture is the basic
industry. so transportation is the es-
sential servant of all industry.
Three recent happenings have
again focused attention on the rail-
roads and raised the question what
is going to be done about them
First, Secretary Hoover in an address
before the Interstate Commerce Com.
the governments credit to support
railroad development projects. Sec.
ond, the national council of the Cham.
Der of Commerce Of the United States
passing upon a recommendation OF
the national chambers railroad com.
mfttee. declined to submit to a refer.
endum vote as inopportune the pro.
posal for establishment of a new gov.
ernmental agency in charge of a com.
missioner general of transportation
Third. President Harding notified
Congress that he was confident thai
the work of the railroad administra.
ton will be Substantially completed
by January 1, 1924, and that the zen.
tire liquidation of the obligations OF
the government arising during the
period of federal control could be con.
cluded without any additional appro.
priation by Congress for that pur.
pose"
X X
Now. the fact is that the railroad.
have been suffering for some tim,
from too much investigation. Thi.
does not mean that it Is improper TO
Congress to look carefully into thei
operation It does mean that thes
Investigations have been taking to-
mach az the time OF Congress, to-
n6sfek ofs TIE time Of the railroad off
cials that might better be devoted t.
trying to run the roads more eff
ciently. and that it has been keeping
the entire question unduly agitated.
Four distinct railroad ipvestiga
tions are now in progress. The Sen
ate commerce committee, in pursu
ance of the Cummins resolution in
troduced in April. 1921, started hear
ings in May, which are still in prog
ress. and has already published thre,
large volumes Of printed hearings
with a fourth. in the works. Tht
Senate committee is also holding
hearings under the caption "Modifi
cations of the transportation act,
and those hearings have wandered
over a wide field with regard to tn,
railroad situation. The House com,
mittee on interstate and foreign com
merce is holding hearings on TIL,
question Of railroad valuations, ant
here again there has been a wide
field Of speculation. The fourth, anl
in some ways the most elaborate. in
Quiry is that by the joint commission
on agricultural inquiry, composed o.
five senators and five representatives
with Representative Anderson o,
Minnesota as chairman, created BY
joint resolution July II, 1921. 1t ha.
been working practically night ant
day ever since. Last August thi:
commission decided that it could no
make a. really searching study of ag
riculture unless 1t considered tn,
railroad question. and so it created
a department Of transportation. will
Donald D. Conn Of Minneapolis i,
charge. Mr.. Conn has a very keer
mind and has thought up SO man,
things to look up that he has KEEP
the railroads pretty busy. This join
commission is trying to clean up it
work SO as to report by April 15
These four separate and distinct in
vestigations of the transportation in
dustry are taking a great deal of tn,
TINA ~ CAnONnco
the time Of railroad officials and rail
road organizations, which have t,
prepare data and statements.
Besides these four congressiona
inquiries comes a fifth by the Inter
state Commerce Commission, which il
conducting a general inquiry into tn,
whole field Of rates and rate prob
lens. both passenger and freight. ant
the entire gamut OF contingencies
and ramifications are under review
the commission holding hearing
practically every day since Decem
ber II.
And now q sixth inquiry has beei
announced to start on March 6, whel
the Railroad Labor Board is going t
conduct a general set Of hearings in
volving practically all railway en-
ployes in all sections of the country
except those in the engine and trair
service.
OF course. the Investigations b!
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and by the Railroad Labor Board ar,
necessary, because the railroads, lik,
all other Industries, are going through
q period of defation and adjustment
to postwar conditions.
- X + +
After months Of consideration Con
1rasa na sRed the really reyolutionar,