Evening star., 1934-04-30
WOULD REVAMP
CARRIER system
Gen. AShburn Urges Reor.
ganization of Interstate
Commerce Commission.

Reorganization of the Interstate
Commerce Commission and revamp-
ing of the Nations transportation
policy to provide greater benefits to
the public, were urged today by Maj.
Gen. T. @. Ashburn, president of the
Inland Waterways Corporation, in
speech before the National Rivers and
Harbors Congress.
Transportation conditions are Eek
ceedingly chaotic and distressing"
AShburn asserted. He contended the
guiding policy adopted by Congress
should be broadened to insure reforms
leading toward cheaper and better
transportation by all carriers.
Astonished American Public.
The Federal co-ordinator of trans
portation's Investigations, Ashburn
said, had laid bare "a mass of data
which. to put it mildly, has astonished
the American public, led to some re-
forms and will unquestionably lead
to more"
THE present rate structure results
In terribly distorted economic bal
ance," he said, "and particularly af-
fects the Middle West disadvantage
ously. The railroad rate structure was
built upon the idea of monopoly of
transportation by rail, and for years
the efforts of our regulatory body,
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
were directed to maintaining that
structure by patchwork of decisions
calculated to strengthen the weak
spots :"
Ashburn advocated a organization
Of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion which would provide for four
subdivisions to regulate railroads,
water carriers, motto" trucks and mis-
cellaneous transportation, including
airplanes and pipe lines.
Legislators Speak.
A series of short formal addresses,
chiefly devoted to the aim of co-ordi-
mating their program with that OF the
Government, marked the opening of
the convention.
The morning session heard two
members of the Senate and six mem
bcrs of the House discuss the needs
for extension of navigation flood con-
troll. water power and irrigation.
Representative Frank R Reid Of
Illinois, president of the congress, pre-
sided and submitted his annual report.
Fred D. Beneke, secretary, also made
his report for the past year.
Senator Key Pittman of Nevada and
Senator Bennett Champ Clark of Mis-
souri, discussed the cost of water
transportation and commerce.
Representatives who spoke were
Riley j. Wilson of Louisiana. chair
man of the Committee in Flood Con-
troll; J. j. Mansfield of Texas, chair
man of the Committee on Rivers and
Harbors; Sam Rayburn of Texas.
chairman of the Committee on Inter
state and Foreign Commerce; Will J.
Driver of Arkansas, member Of the
Rules Committee. and Will M. Whit
tington of Mississippi, ranking major
ity member of the Committee on Flood
Control.
The Afternoon session was set aside
for addresses of Government officials
other than members of Congress. In
cluded on the program were Maj. Gen.
Edward M. Markham. chief of Army
Engineers; Joseph B. Eastman, co-or-
dirator of transportation; Carl Book,
assistant chief engineer Tennessee
Valley Authority; Frank r. McNinch,
chairman Federal Power Commission:
H. H. Bennett, director of the soil
erosion service, Interior Department;
Henry H Heimann, director United
States Shipping Board Bureau F. A.
Silcox, chief forester, and Miss Mae A.
Schnurr. assistant to the commits
sioner of reclamation, Interior De-
partment.
Annual Banquet Tonight.
The congress will hold its annual
banquet tonight at the Mayf1ower and
among the chief speakers will be DR.
Hans Luther, Ambassador of Ger
many. and Alexander TroyanovSky
Ambassador of the Union of Socialist
Soviet Republics, both of whom will
discuss the development of inland
waterways in their homelands.
Among others to speak will be Gen.
William Mitchell, who will talk on
Americas Aerial Defense in Relation
to Inland Waterways as a Branch of
National Defense: Senator Elmer
Thomas of Oklahoma, Senator Pitt
man, Gen. Ashburn, Gen. Markham,
Representative Joseph w. Byrns, Rep
resentatives Mansfield and Wilson and
Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley of New
Orleans.