The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-27
TRAFFIC MEN ACT
 s ON IA PROPOSALS
Birmingham Association
 Rejects Half Of Cham ~ Der Recommendations

Fl 4f | Directors of the Birmingham Traffic Association have rejected seven of the 3fourteen points recommended by the |special transportation committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce land contained in referendum No. 43. I It was announced Friday. Two of the Spoints were not acted upon, leaving Hive which met with the open approval bf directors.
 s Important. in the opposition was the Refusal to sanction the recommendation That important principles of the trans- 5portation act of 1920 should be con inued without change or until further Experience with the act"
 Opinion Is shown
 "It is the opinion of the association" :" leads a report issued with the an- houncement, "that in view of the fact hat the transportation act has been H Affective for four years, ample time has been granted to determine whether or hot it should or should not be amended. "The association by 50 voting takes &he position that it is not advocating Mn amendment to the transportation Met but there are quite number of 4Ihanges which should be made and (which we xiiould not object to seeing aade immediately
 4 The association also vetoed the point lthat instead of any attempt at general Reduction at the present time the exist #hg administrative agencies, under their Established methods and with all pos dispatch consistent with proper ktdy and investigation, proceed with Establishment of relative freight rates"
 Reasons Given
 "In giving it's reason for this action directors state: We feel that the Present rate structure. is the result of Hhitiatiye and thought on the part of Xhe carriers which has taken years to hild and that any investigation by theoretical rate making tribunals will hye an adverse effect on business con ftions."
 Bother measures opposed were Op- lenal store-door. delivery to be estab- Shed at the leading terminal points hat motor transport be utilized where Fer possible to replace short rail trans brtation that rates and service of lotor common carriers, both freight Id passenger, be subject to the juris- ction of the various regulatory bodies l; lat trucks be more heavily taxed to kfray the upkeep of highways, and lat the principle of recaptnre of a fir portion of excess railroad earnings lould be maintained in the public in- lrest as essential to the rule of rate aking.
 FavOrs Other Laws
 The association went on record as lvoring the enactment of supplement- x iy legislation to make voluntary con !lida tions of railroads easier; that the tmy engineer make a comprehensive lrvey of the inland waterways; con hued operation of the Warrior and lississippi river barge lines; the recom- endation of the committee respecting |e question of facilitating interchange
 traffic and divisions as between hter and rail lines; and a policy of lnnecting and co-ordinating terminal lcilities with provisions for joint use
 prescribed by the interstate com erce commission.
 No stand was taken on the rec0m- endations stating that .the national lIicy should aim at the development Nd maintenance of an adequate rail. Ater and highway transport with full Aoperative service for all agencies that lll contribute to economy and ef- liency; = or the one providing that Instead of any attempt to deal with les and other problems by regulation
 common carriers through Legislation cessarily inelastic, such problems be ndled by properly constituted federal 1 etafa adminiatrafive anAnciAH" {"