The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-03-27
RAILWAYS BIG ISSUE
BEFORE NEW CONGRESS
LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES
CONCEDE SETTLEMENT rs
A VITAL PROBLEM.
NOW PREPARING A PROGRAM
Six Per Cent Guaranty and Labor
Board Limitation Under Fire. A
Great Variety of. Opinions as to
What Should Be Done.


What Should Be Done.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Trans-
portation is the big problem staring
the new congress in the face.
Leaders of both political parties
concede that settlement of the railroad
question will be the largest domestic
question to be dealt with, and because
the administration recognizes this an
attempt is being made during the con-
gressional recess to work out pro-
gram for submission to the two hous-
es as soon as they meet in December.
All Departments at Work.
1t was learned today that President
Harding has put to work all of the
departments, commissions and bureaus
of the government which deal with
the transportation problems, so that
he may have the advantage of their
combined judgment when he drafts
the administration policy this fall.
OF one thing the administration is
convinced-there will be a forceful
and insistent demand that the per
cent rate provision of the existing law
be repealed in the next session of con-
gress That admittedly is a strong
talking point for those who would
amend the present Esch-C ummins
transportation act in vital particulars.
Labor Board, Too, Under Fire.
While it is the Judgment Of some of
the highest officials of the government
that the railroads could establish by
court that they are entitled to earn
ings at least as great as that, the guar
anty offers a sdehnite thing to shoot
at and most of those who favor its
elimination would go further and
amend the present transportation act
| by stripping the railroad labor board
of control over wages.
Apparently everybody in the Unit
ed States, whether in official business
or private life, is attempting to solve
the railroad problems. The United
States Chamber of Commerce, which
is to hold its convention of between
! 1000 and 5000 business men in New
York, May 7 to 10, has announced
that transportation in all its phases
will be the keynote of the meeting, as
it is the keynote of virtually every
business discussion in the country
these days"
Steps Towards Solution.
These are some of the steps which
have just been adopted i'll an effort to
work out solution of this problem,
which affects every person and every
| business in the United States:
1.-Business and the government,
acting unofficially, have joined hands
in setting up a transportation insti-
tute," which is to do research work
and lay the facts before the public.
2.-The Interstate Commerce Com
mission is busy acting under instruc-
tons from congress in laying out
paper scheme for consolidation of all
railroads of the country into few
big groups.
ers. largely interested in the weaker
roads, which would not be integral
parts of the great groups, are propos-
| ing as a cure-all for the transporta-
ton problem a pooling of all freight
cars and locomotives for use where
and when most needed.
4.-Railroad workers and the ultra
progressive group in congress are
propagandizing for government own
ership and operation.
5.-Farmers, principally those from
the states west of the Mississippi riv-
err are insisting that a reduction on
, farm commodities would prove long
stride toward settlement OF national
trouble.
Many Schools of Thought.
Many other schools of thought ex-
list and each is working in its own
particular way. Neither the railroads
nor the public interests are united on
solution. Larger railroads generally
feel that there are too many 'volun-
tary saviors" of the transportation
problem and if they were left alone
they could work out their own, saliva
ton.
AT the other extreme stands the
group which would have the govern
ment take the railroads and operate
them. The middle-grounders general
" seem to be consolidationists, men
who favor the grouping of roads eth
er voluntarily or by compulsion.