Evening star., 1924-11-13
CUMM|NS T0PUSH
RAIL LEGISLATION
Reveals Plans for Short Ses.
sion of Congress-Sees
Hopes Brighter.
L, the Associated Press.

DES MONIES, November i&.--Prep-
hration for railroad legislation in the
short session of Congress. will get
under way Immediately Senator y.
Is. CumminS of Iowa, co-author of
tho Esch-Cummins transportation
act, announced here last night. prior
To his departure for the Capital
The result of the election has mate
rally improved the situation, Senator
',umminS said, adding that the op-
posing factions in the railroad con-
troverSy can now get together on
the economic question involved and
take the railroads out of politics.
During the next few days the
Iowa Senator plans to hold a series
Of conferences with President Cool
idge Herbert Hoover, Secretary OF
Commerce. and representatives, of
both the railroad operators and their
employees in an effort to agree on
program of legislation.
Seeks LA Toilette AID.
senator Cummins expressed the
hope that Senator La Toilette with
whom he differs on a part of the
railroad program will meet him half
way.
1T would seem" Senator Cum
Minis said. that the result of the
election has demonstrated that La
Toilette can not have his own way.
lnasmuch as | am willing to con-
%ede "a part of his railroad program.
it would seem there is fair oppor-
tunlty to reach an agreement
In addition TO railroad bills of his
own which are pending in Congress,
Senator cummns said there are
about 100 other bills proposing regulation
o. the railroads. All OF them, he
added, center on three things-con-
solidation of the systems. adoption
Of settled policy of governmental
Interference in disputes between the
railroads and their employees, and
-tnal valuation of the properties nee
eSSary for rate-making purposes.
'1f we could get those three prob
lens settled to the satisfaction of
everybody" Senator Cummins said.
I'VE would have peace in the railroad
world for a long time. Hope for
this settlement looks very promising
to me. For the first time l can real
1y see the end of the controversy
with regard to the railroads in politi-
cal campaigns.
Sees Hope Brighter.
''Of course. We can't take the rail-
roads entirely out OF politics so long
as the policy of Government regula-
tion is followed. But the points now
disturbing the public mind, the prob
lens which are acute and concrete,
can be settled. There is bright hope
for their immediate settlement. Then
we can go on without continual dis
JurbanCe.'
There no longer remains any dis
pute over the necessity of conSoilda-
tion of substantially all of our rail-
roads into comparatively few sys-
TENS, Senator Cummins said. There
the proper method of effecting the
consolidation. 1t is necessary to
have an agreement reached between
tho owners of the railroads, the en-
pIoyes and the shippers on what leg
islation is satisfactory and then for
Congress to go ahead and enact it.
The problems in arriving at such
an agreement, he said, are: For the
owners TO surrender their opposition
TO consolidation; for the employees to
settle upon a policy of handling the
problems of wages and working con-
ditions. and for adoption of a speedy
method of reaching valuations, which
determine the rates shippers have to
pay.
Railroad Heads Divided.
Thus far it has not been possible
TO get the railroads to agree on
plan of consolidation he asserted
adding that 1t was his belief that this
can be done now, especially if Presi-
dent Coolidge will assert himself In
The matter and exert his influence.
"The chief problem concerning the
railroad employees, including the
brotherhoods and the unions Is their
opposition to the United States rail-
road labor board. The chief difference
between the managers and the men
seems to be whether the Government
should undertake to create a board
such as now exists with authority to
render decisions in disputes on their
merits.
There is not enough difference be-
tween the managers and the men, in
my opinion, to form subject of
continual fighting.
The third big problem is the valua-
ton of railroad property, for on that
depends the rate-making power.
NO one disputes" Senator Cum
rnins continued, that the railroads
must earn fair return on their value.
The sole matter of controversy is as
10 their value and in the absence of
an amendment to the Constitution no
one disputes that the value of any
kind of public property Is a judicial
question and must be determined by
the courts.
Il am going to see if we can't reach
an agreement on the manner In which
the question can be submitted to the
courts speedily and quickl ly be de-
termined there.
IF these things can be done, we
would have reached the end of the
railroad controversy. These are the
three things 1 would like to see
brought about at this session of
Congress-"
HaororIo Tduoa %ar ninc