Evening star., 1923-01-28
|COUzENS FAVORS
| u. S.-OWNED RAILS
Declares He Has Open Mind,
But Sees No Other
Solution.
BIZ the Associated Press.

BIZ the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, January ~
Senator James, Couzens of Michigan,
who before he went to the Senate at
tracted wide attention adminis-
traitor OF Detroit's municipality con-
trolled street car system. told the
Philadelphia Real Estate Board to-
night that although he had "an open
mind" on the railroad problem. 1t ap-
peared to him that government own
el ship of the roads furnished "the
only solution"
Making his first prepared public
address since he was appointed sena-
tor, Mr.. CouZens declared that GER
tainly the nations transportation un-
der government ownership would not
De amy more expensive to the public
than 1t now is" Although a repub-
lican, he said, he could not agree that
government operation during the war
was a mistake, nor had he found any
proof of President Harding's recent
statement that government control
had brought about the present unsat-
isfactory situation.
Believes Congress Should Act.
''I have an entirely open mind as to
the solution of the railroad problem" !"
said Senator Couzens, because / have
not heard any one say that the rail-
roads are not problem. Every
where, from every section Of the
country. the government is being
urged to do something in connection
with the railroad problem. 1t is the
duty of Congress to endeavor to solve
1t. because there is no other agency
to do it.
personally, l should prefer that
the government did not have to take
over the railroads, but we have not
found any effective solution. and,
therefore, it looks to me as though
government ership was the only
solution. This does not necessarily
mean government operation, because
If the railroads could properly expand
and develop, and the government
could control by regulation the man
agement, we might be able to get
along without Undue interference of
politicians.
Many Seek to Interfere.
Il would like to point out, how
ever, that there are many worse in
.erferences than the interferences Of
politicians There is the interference
OF the bankers, who must get their
rake-on, regardless of public serv-
Ice or the treatment of the men who
operate the railroads. Then you know
now every manufacturer organiza-
tIon or organization of other groups
Immediately jumps in to the fight any
raise in rates or adoption of any rule
or regulation which in any way af-
1ects their business. Every one wants
tne railroads to succeed at somebody
else's expense"
Let me say to You that .ba pov
ernment can waste considerable
money through inefficiency and poll
tics, and yet produce service to the
PUBIC In many activities at less
cost than can be done by private in
dustries that are not In the lime
light, and that have so many ways
or covering up their cost through
hlgh salaries, extra compensation to
directors, the purchasing of supplies
from industries in which the direc-
tors are interested, and from the
'rake-offs paid to the bankers who
finance them"
Senator Couzens read q statement
he had issued some time ago. quot
ing President Harding's declaration
In his message to Congress that gov
ernment operation does not afford the
cure" and continued:
II note that he is silent on the
subject of government ownership
Perhaps the President would agree
that that would effect the cure. The
President says it was government on
Grafton that brought us to the yery
order or things against which we now
rebel, and we are still liquidating the
cost of that supreme folly, but / note
the absence of proof to sustain that
SoHSiuSlOH.
Open-Minded on Coal
1t is not my intention to comment
on the governments handling of the
railroads during and after the war,
but simply to say that it would make
interesting reading to show a com
parlson of what the railroads did
during the war and what private in
dustry did to the government"
Coal transportation statistics were
cited by the senator to show, he said
that the coal industry, about which
the government is being "importuned
every hour of the day to take some
action" is closely related 20 the rail-
roads. He denied numerous state
ments made in newspaper headlines
that he had come out in favor of
government ownership and concluded
with a reiteratioP that he had an en-
tirely open mind" on the whole sub
ject.