Evening star., 1928-01-22
BUS REGULATION.
SOUGHT BY YA.A.A.
State Control With Right of
Appeal to |. c. c. Is
Favored.

Legislation TO provide for the regllla.
tion Of motor buses engaged in inter-
state commerce has been placed square,
ly up 10 Congress as a matter Of vital
Importance If the public interest is to
b. Safesuar6ed, according to the bus
oivlSion OF the American Automobile
Association
The division issued this statement
today in commenting on the findings
Of Attorney-Examiner Leo J. Flynn, who
Il, report TO the Interstate Commerce
Commission recommends policy of
control by State commissions, with
right Of appeal 10 the Interstate Com
nlerce Commission,
These conclusions" II is stated.
@clearlv Justify the stand OF the 2.l00
bus operators affiliated with the A. A. A.
and give hope for early consideration OF
this Nationwide economic problem by
Congress.
Tho findings represent over a year
OF effort on the part Of Examiner Flynn
and comprise one Of the most COM
rrehenslve reports on the bus industry
THAT has yet been prepared"
Senator Watson. Republican. Indiana,
chairman Of the Senate committee on
interstate commerce. and Representa-
tive Denison, Republican. Illinois. men,
Der OF the House committee on inter
state and foreign commerce, are Spon-
Sorlng bills 10 secure a suitable regula-
tory Law along lines recommended TO
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Year-Round Service.
Motor carrier service has reached the
stage Of dependable all-year operation. >"
says the bus division. and the ind
ings reported to the Interstate Com
nlerce Commission show instances
where bus service was continued in
areas where rail lines were forced TO
snow and other weather conditions.
They show strikingly that the public
wants bus transportation developed 10
the highest degree. and these patrons
must be protected against wildcat OPP
erations oy financially irresponsible con-
Germs, whose reprehensible practices
tend TO discredit responsible bus lines.
Operators OF this kind. in many in
stances. are showing a growing tenden-
CT to cross an imaginary line known
as a State boundary in order 10 take
rank SIS an interstate carrier. although
trey carry passengers strictly IN intra-
state hauls"
The bus division cited impressive
examples from the findings 10 show that
many wide areas with large popula-
ton are entirely dependent on motor
carriers In Indiana there are 1885, 900
people living within IS miles Of In
clanapolis who have no direct rail COM
runication with that city. In the
same State there are 500 towns and
villages with a. population of so or
more which have no direct rail service,
A total OF 260 of these are served by
regular bus lines and 500 By motor
trucks. In California 855 towns rely
entirely on motor transportation. The
Nation as a unit is becoming a net
work Of improved highways over which
modern busses each day transport MIL
lions Of passengers
Rails Gain Freight.
The steam railroads have undoubt-
edly lost much business TO the new
highway transportation agency" the re-
port TO the Interstate Commerce
Commission says, but 1t is also
probably true that in the aggregate this
has been more than Offset by the gain
from new trafic created by the deveI-
cpnent Of the automobile industry. In
the words OF the president of one of
the great transcontinental railroads in
reference to the automobile industry:
Its importance is so great, taken as a
whole. that the railways gain much
more from the freight traffic it gives
them than they lose from the freight
a1lC passenger business IL taxes away.
From 1920 10 May ]. 1925" the re-
port continues. less than per cent of
the total railroad mileage as Of Decem-
Der 81. 1919. was abandoned and only
80 per cent of this total mileage aban-
ooned was the result Of competition
with motor vehicles"
The Gus division has long advocated
q policy of primary State control. Such
o plan is definitely proposed In
the Interstate Commerce Commission
examiners conclusions and now
awaits action by the entire membership
Of the commission. The constitutional
ity o. such proposal has been ques-
toned. and Mr, Flynn discusses this
phase eZt1austiyely. finding that IL Is
Constitutional
The conclusions. briefly summarized.
are as follows:
/. Transportation Of passengers BY
motor vehicles over the public highways
has become permanent factor in the
Nations transportation system.
2. Steam and electric railways have
yealizec this condition and more ex-
tensiyeiy are using buses 10 replace
train operations or 70 serve as feeders
1A Nl