Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-16
Would Control Motor Transport.

AIdhSpOILs
The regulation of motor transporta-
ton in interstate commerce or in intra-
state commerce. by the same agencies
as those which regulate rail trans
portation, is proposed. This regulation
would include airplane transportation
as well as BUSES and trucks.
A separate Federal commission on
communications to regulate interstate
communication by wire or wireless is
advocated in the report
Public control Of all public business
is essential to Self-government." said
the report. ut has been thought that
We can avoid a purely political control
of public utilities service by establish
ing enterprises endowed with private
legal rights. coupled with public obliga-
tions. The unfortunate result has been
the growth of private rights and the de-
cay of public obligation in the handling
of public business. Efforts at govern
mental regulation of privately owned
utilities has produced a counter force
of private regulation of government.
The recapture of public control of
all public business and the elimination
of any private monopoly control of pub
lie necessities are the greatest problems
that confront the American people to-
day. 1t will not be possible for all peo-
long as they are compelled to pay an
increasing tribute to support the ficti
tious values of vast private fortunes
which are based on the earning power
of special privileges"
Competition Held Best Curb.
The report said that in recent years
the force which has been most effective
to control proflteering out of public
needs has been competition. 1t added
that when private competition has
failed, public competition frequently
has demonstrated its impressive power.
Public competition continued the
report, lis the most effective form of
regulation. The way to recapture public
control of public business is to promote
public operation of public business. We
may we'll leave it to the theorists and
to the prophets to argue over the
eventual outcome. The eventual fields
of public and private enterprise, the
eventual uses of direct or indirect public
control, will be determined by economic
and social requirements that will arise
out of the changing material conditions,
and the changing political and ethical
philosophy of the people"
In its discussion of the regulation OF
electrical utilities, the committee recon-
mendS not only the establishment Of
a new Federal commission, but also the
continued regulation of electrical util-
tiles by State commissions with CO.
operation between State and Federal
regulatory bodies.
The Federal and State Governments
could cooperate in establishing enter
priSes for the production and distribu-
ton of electric power wherever feasible"
said the report, land thereby create
standards of service and of rates which
can be applied in regulation of privately
owned electrical utilities.
Public Corporation Proposed
IF competition between private and
on both sides, as it should be, the
eventual survival of either or both OF
these means of serving public needs Will
depend upon their comparative capacity
for public service The issue is too
great to be decided by theory or
prejudice.
Privately owned and operated cleo
trio power enterprises now control SO
large a part of the available sources OF
production and the available avenues
Of distribution that it should be adopted
as the ruling principle of Federal and
State action that further developments
in this field should be confined,
wherever the alternative is available, to
direct public control
This does not require the political
selection OF operators, nor the use OF the
taxing power to support such enter
prises. They should be self-supporting
and should be controlled by public cor
porationS as free from immediate po-
litical pressure as the privately owned
public utilities, but also incapable Of
eXerting the political pressure now being
exerted by such private corporations"
Mr.. Richberg, the chairman of the
committee making the report, is an at
torney from Chicago. Other members
OF the committee are Paul U. Kellogg
and Amos Pinchot both of New York;
w. E. MoSher, Syracuse University;
Judson King, Washington; James c..
Bonbright, Columbia University; Walter
S. Memis, Chicago; Theodore Kron-
shage, jr., chairman of the Wisconsin
Thompson Chicago; Mrs. Ann Dennis
Dursch. Washington; Willis ]. Spauld-
ing, commissioner of public property,
Illinois; Kenneth Harlan, Portland,
Greg; E. w. Morehouse, Northwestern
University; ] D. Ross, Seattle, Wash;
Morris L. Cooke, Philadelphia; E. M.
Nockels, secretary, Chicago Federation
of Labor; John M. Baer, Washington;
David E. Lilienthal, Wisconsin,; Lloyd
E. Bemis, Chicago: Henry T. Hunt. New
York; Charles E. Miriam. University of
Chicago: Newton Jenkins. Chicago;
Martin G. CHASER. University of Wis
consin, and Stephen RauShenbuSh.