Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-18
Washington Ticker
BY CLINTON COFFIN.
Associated Press Financial Writer.

Committee action in the House TINS
week has cleared all obstacles OUT VI
the way of the projected congresslonai
Investigation into holding ana invest
ment corporation methods OF controinng
important railroads. Though tne maj
vote has not been taken, it is apparent
that congressional leaders, without mucn
regard to party or viewpoint, inteno 10
bring about the passage OF resolution
presented by Chairman Parker OF tne
House interstate commerce committee,
which will authorize and finance inquiry
into ownership and control, direct or
indirect of stock or capital interests In
any common carrier by holding COM
parlies, investment trusts, individuals,
corporations, partnerships, associations
and trusts"
with this broad language empowering
its procedure, and funds provided by
special appropriation, the committee IN
tends to institute a rather sweeping re-
search into modern methods OF dominat-
ing railroads. Some of its members con-
slider that the data should be gathered
before any legislation facilitating rail-
road consolidation is considered, while
others have concluded that the func-
timing of holding corporations in rail-
road control threatens effective Federal
regulation of carriers.
I'VE shall certainly do our best TO
establish just where the ownership OF
the more important American railroads
actually lies" Chairman Parker re-
marked. IT mean by that where 1t
actually is located, regardless OF the
screens that are alleged to be set up
about control of some carriers by the
creation of corporations which hold
each others securities. I expect that
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
Iaf- d., tNxV aNrf will
furnish us with preliminary data, but
we intend to ask Congress for an
adequate appropriation that will allow
us to follow up any leads the commits
sion has.
There may be several weeks of this
preliminary inquiry necessary before
we call any witnesses for public ex-
animation. / am informed, however,
that most of the people prominently
identified with railroad finance are en-
tirely willing to appear. OF course, we
are not engaging in prosecution Of
any kind, nor have we any purpose
of seeking to embarrass the proper
operations OF any group identif1ed with
railroad management"
The genesis of the inquiry is found
in a recommendation made last Fall by
the Interstate Commerce Commission to
Congress citing the recent creation of
the Pennroad and Allegheny Corpora
tions. each credited with large holdings
of railroad stocks of diverse operating
systems. The commission observed
that in some respects its power of regu-
lating railroads might be destroyed by
the policy of holding corporations whose
actions were beyond Federal jurisdic-
ton.
No. =;
fisheries officials have been following
with some concern the recent appear
ance on Western Atlantic fishing
grounds of European fishing craft. So
far nothing has been done in the mat
ter, but it is entirely possible that one
of the minor international discussion
may eventuate on this fishing question.
For the last two years the European
fishing boats have engaged in opera
tons against the halibut and cod
schools of the west coast of Green
land in increasing numbers and with
improved methods of catching and
freezing the prey.
While international action to control
this far-foraging of the erstwhile North
Sea fishermen may be long way
ahead, fisheries experts are inclined to
view the, performance as another ind;-
cation that seafood resources are al
ways in danger of being exhausted by
modern quantity methods of utilizs :
ton. 1t is only the failure of the hsh
supplies in European waters. coming
after years of intensive exploitation,
that sends the European boats 70 Amer
! lean waters. Their arrival occasions
the more discomfort here in that the
fishing industry of the United States
has been having a marked revival in re-
cent years and is probably seriously
draining the fish supply off of the
Eastern coast by its own RECURRENCE
The package shipment of prepared fish
| in 1929 from Eastern Seaports TO the
interior ran around $4,000 900 or 90
/ 600, 900 pounds, which meant about
l50, 1000, 900 pounds of live fish had to be
caught to supply 1t.
Jackdaws, magpies. SQUIRRELS, hedge