New Britain herald., 1930-12-05

necessary to us if we are to solve the very difficult questions with which we have been, and are. con- fronted. We are not holding up sore thumbs. II a man has a sore thumb or an infected thumb, he goes 10 a doctor and tells him about it. In a very large way, the business men. the manufacturers of the country, are the doctors in this case, and if we tell you our troubles. it is not because we are complaining about something, or because we are look ing for sympathy and an encourag- ing pat on the back. We are locking for assistance in helping us to help ourselves and to help you.
 What Railroads Want
 Two weeks ago, the Association of Railway Executives, which is an association including practically all the class one railroads Of the coun- try, at meeting in New York, made four recommendation covering a policy. which, if adopted, and car" ried through, would serve to main- tain an efficient national system of transportation, adequate 10 the busi- ness needs of the public, which were:
 "1. A respite from rate reductions and suspensions by regulating bodies, both intra and interstate, and from action that will increase the expenses of the carriers.
 70 A respite from legislative ef forts Of either the national or the state legislatures that would ad- yersely affect rates or increase the expenses of inc carriers.
 "3. A withdrawal Of government al competition both through direct operation of transportation facilities, as well as indirectly through subsi- dies.
 4. A fairly comparable system Of regulation for competing trans portation service by water and on the highways. involving affirmative legislative action.
 This treatment is the osteopathic and allopathic treatment which the railroads themselves, after a study Of their case, have thought, think, and now believe is the treatment which will enable the backbone 10 recover from the jolts which have been administered 10 ii; and as the cure involves the causes, I have stated the cure first. in order 10 logically point out the causes of our present troubles.
 New Era Begins
 "When the railroads of the coun- fry emerged from government con- trol in 1920, the people of the coun- try, through congress, recognized that in order to maintain an ade- Quate system of transportation, changes must he made ill the old laws, and the old practices, not only 10 maintain the system. but to keep pace with the times, That was over ten years ago, and with the passage of the transporta act. new era of railroad transpor- tation was begun. II was recognized by that act that as the railroad sys- tenn was continually being not only maintained. but improved, it should have sufficient revenues to keep up maintenance and to care for the jnprOvemenfS It was recognized by that act that revenues which were barely sufficient to care for maintenance and improvements were not enough: that the revenues must be such that after payment Of necessary expenses, a small surplus should remain. both 10 have re- serve 10 care for extraordinary ex- penses. the result Of floods or cataclysms, and to furnish a reason- able return 10 the investors who have put their money in the pro perties. II vas recognized by that act that the only source of revenue Of the railroads, was the sale Of transportation. and tho act provided that rates should be maintained at sufficient level 10 provide not only that revenue, but 10 provide sufl- cicnt revenue 10 maintain the credit of the carriers.
 "A whoIehcarted attempt was made by the interstate commerce commission in 1920 to carry out the