Evening star., 1932-08-02

the functions Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, the Newark Evening
News declares: "The railroad evils
grew out of two things: Uncontrolled
capitalization and the use Of rates for
discrimination. Control of the first
should be continued, the second could
be handled by the commission sitting
as a sort Of court. AS for the rest OF
it, the immense bureaucracy created by
the commission ought to be abolished"
In commenting upon this criticism, the
Springfield (Mass.) Republican voices
the opinion: There is no certainty
that any great number Of the commits
sion's normal regulatory duties can be
Withdrawn. If the railroads have
ceased to possess monopoly of trans
portation, regulation should not be
preserved on a monopoly basis. But.
instead of abolishing the commissions
rate-fxing powers, the Government
might be better advised to exercise
jurisdiction over highway and water
way rates"
"The victory Of the Van Sweringen
interests" thinks the Cleveland News,
sis the most significant. The Pennsyl-
vania and New York Central systems
were already in effect gigantic mergers.
The decision means that the Vans have
succeeded in making the Nickel Plate
and the Chesapeake & Ohio roads a
system as strong as any in the country.
1t means that these interests are en-
powered to take over other roads, and
that they gain the long-sought en-
trance into New York" The Altoona
Mirror feels that the interests of
everybody save the Pennsylvania seem
to have been provided for" and sees
as probable radical changes in the
1f iSSin fla
Boston Transcript holds that New
England interests may find cause for
satisfaction in the attitude of the COM
mission when it says to the Pennsyl-
vania that 1t must get out Of New Eng
land by selling its New England hold
ings or placing them in the hands Of
trustees" while the Hartford Times
comments: "The question for the
Pennsylvania to decide would be
whether it considers commission ap-
proval of what it has done and might
desire to do more important than hold
ing it's control in the New Haven and
Boston &5 Maine, or whether 1T would
be willing to sacrifice that position In
order to be permitted to carry out the
general plan with commission ap-
proval."
ut is not unlikely" says the Scran-
ton Times, that further appeals to the
commission and possibly to the courts
will follow, with the likelihood that the
plan will not be put into effect for sew
eraI years yet" The Charleston CIV. Va.)
Daily Mail advises that it should be
apnroved and placed IN Operation, its
weak points, perhaps, corrected sub
Seuuently." Noting changes since 1929.
TcianH ATO1Ic nnnpI,,I1r.
Business conditions have so changed
since 1929 that it is difficult to predict
much about the new plan. It was
generally felt when the matter was first
broached that railway consolidation
was good in principle" The Youngs-
town Vindicator is convinced that the
carriers will accept the plan," and that
probably three years will be required
for the reallocation and rearrangement
of the lines"
I'm most cases it is a recognition
Of arrangements already made" AYERS
the Philadelphia Inquirer, while the
Minneapolis Journal declares: "The
progressive con consultation Of lines that
half a century in logical and ra-
tional manner when the forces of Cow
interrupted it, is now to be re-
sumed by order of the same govern
mental forces. How much better off
the country might have been had there
been no interruption"
THE roads, states the Portland
Oregon journal, "are faced with seri-
ouS problems, but those problems will
not be solved through increased rates.
What they have to find. it appears. is
cheaper operating costs, lower rates
and greater volume if they are to COM
pete with other modern transportation
'ystems. They cannot live If they kill
)ff the interests, among them arricuI-
,ural, that supply their tonnage.