The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-01-03
READING FIGHT
RACKS RAIL
PLANS
Congressman barrow to Start
War h House TO Prevent
Consultations.
tContinued froln FIRST PACED

y N4~~~NN~s~NN~
been made in favor OF the New
York Central Railroad by the COM
aThe claim Of certain industrial
sections Of the United States that
they have been Disseminated
against in being denied permission
to appear before the commission in
certain hearings being conducted
by that body relative to the pro-
posed consolidation of the Phlladel-
phia and Reading railway with The
New York Central railroad"
Denied by Chairman.
Chairman Hall, Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, who also IL
head Of all Its work regarding pro-
posed consultations. stated without
reservation today that no group Of
persons expressing Q wish to testify
in the Reading railroad cOns0iida
ton matter had been denied that
privilege.
Other members Of the commission
expressed profound indignation that
a quarrel between railroads should
produce what they called "unjus.
titled" aSpersiOns upon the charao.
tiers Of commissioner
Commissioner Potter called at.
-tention to the fact that no decision
involving the consolidation contro.
versy between the Reading and the
New York Central has yet been
handed down or Is likely to be
handed down for many months 70
come.
Final Hearings Near.
It happens, however. that the
final round Of hearings on the
whole consolidation problem win be-
gin next Monday. It happens fur
Their that Monday Ii the very day
which Congressman Darrow has
picked for the introduction Of his
bin. Members Of the Commission
see in his action an effort TO bring
pressure to bear upon the Commits
sion in the management OF the
hearings.
Moreover, behind the bill they
think they see the powerful hand
Of the great railroad banker, =. T.
Stotesbury Of Philadelphia, who 10
heavily interested in the Reading.
They also finally think that In all
this sort Of agitation In Congress
they see q determined effort by
powerful banking interests to join
hands with the radicals" In Con-
Of railroad consolidation TO q sud-
den stop.
Congressman Darrow's bill, be-
sides demanding an investigation OF
the Interstate Commences Commits
sion and the New York Central
Railroad, contains Q provision order
ing the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to refrain from suggesting
any consolidation plans for ten
years.
Groups Are United.
The fact has long been perceived
in Washington that the hard-boiled
''reactionaries" and the blown.in-
the-bottle radicals" are equally
opposed to federally promoted rail-
road consolidation az at present
enacted in the Esch.C ummins trans
portation law.
The Reading case may be the reef
on which the whole present conscli-
dalton ship may break itself TO
pieces.
The Reading IL perfectly pros
porous property which thinks It u
leading a highly useful and noble
life providing large terminal orig
mating and distributing facilities
in eastern Pennsylvania and In New
Jersey for all the great eastern
trunk lines QIIkO tint Pennsylvania
and the Baltimore ana Ohio and
the New York Central ixnpartially
and successfully.
It sees no reason why It should
be sold down the river to any
one Of these trunk lines. It wants
its liberty; and It seems not only
to want It but to be determined to
hesitate at nothing In order to keep
and have IL.
Congressman Darrow comes from
Philadelphia, where the Reading has
its central being. He n n nomber
Of the Republican steering COM
mittee Of the House Of Repre-.
sentatives. He now WIN start out
through his little new bill In the
House of Representatives to try TO
EXPOSE" every possible criticiable
thing that the New York Central
has ever done az long as II insists
upon trying to absorb any part Of
the Reading.
Cat and Dog Fight.
It IL not really thought here that
anything actually rejecting upon
the character Of any member of the
Interstate Commerce Commission
will be, or can be, disclosed. It
is supposed, however. that all sorts
Of indirect propaganda" intended
to influence the commission viii be
alleged ana it Is also supposed
that the employment Of former COM
mission employees by the New York
Central will be unfavorably stressed.
The Reading Is q cat which has
been chosed up a tree by dog
and In going to scratch his eyes
out II she can; and In the course OF
doing 1t she IL likely to cause severe
paint and even dissolution to the
whole Federal Governmental rail-