Evening star., 1934-09-06
PRESIDENT MOVES
TO AID RAILWAYS
Discusses Relief Legislation
in Conferences With Lead
ers at Hyde Park.
BY ]. RUSSELL YOUNG,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

Stan Correspondent of The Star.
HYDE PARK, N. Y, September g.
President Roosevelt today again
turned his attention to the difficult
problem of the railroads of the coun-
try, with the view to reshaping legis-
lation in the interest Of the railroad.
1t has been we'll represented to the
President that this major industry is
not faring as well under the New
Deal as it should, and he is known to
be anxious to work out some plan by
which this intricate problem might
be satisfactorily met.
Several Conferences.
During the forenoon he conferred
at length with Joseph Eastman, Fed
eral co-ordinator of railroads. This
conference, following closely similar
conversations the President had ear
lier in the week with j. J. Pelley, pres.-
dent Of the New York, New Haven &
Hartford Railroad, and A. A. Berle,
former member of the so-called brain
trust" and now city chamberlain Of
New York, and recognized authority
on railroads. is looked upon as con-
elusive proof that Mr.. Roosevelt is
aiming to do something helpful for
the carriers.
The President also had a brief chat
with DR.. Irving Fisher, Yale econo-
mist. DR.. Fisher said before going to
the Summer White House that he
happened to be motoring in this sec
ton and asked for this opportunity
for a short call at the Summer White
House
DR.. Fisher Is recognized as one of
the leading advocates of money infia-
tion, but he said he did not expect
to talk business with the President to-
day.
These conferences are regarded at
least as indication that the President
is determined to delay further the
controversial task of extending Fed
eral regulation to other branches Of
transportation with a view to placing
them on parity with the railroads.
Authorities on railroad matters con-
tend that railroads must be placed on
a parity with such forms of trans
portation as busSeS, trucks, waterway
and air transportation II they are to
show any substantial improvement.
They insist that the granting Of
higher rates, as requested by the rail-
roads recently, will not in itself solve
the railroad problem.
There have been bills before Con-
gress for the past several years, the
general purpose of which has been
to regulate other forms of transpor-
tation coming in competition with
the principal rail routes, but none of
these has been enacted. Congress
always has adjourned before the
sponsors of the legislation could iron
out the difficulties and differences of
opinion that blocked legislative ac-
ton.
The prospects seemed bright at the
last session Of Congress for some leg
islation of this kind to be enacted,
but the pressure Of last-minute ad-
ministration economic legislation
blocked things and the railroad leg
islation was sidetracked.
Program Likely to Be "Must."
Considering the seriousness Of the
problem now and the Presidents in
terest in 1t, 1t Is thought likely that
he is preparing to work out q plan
and to then include 1t ON the must
list" Of administration legislation to
be placed before the next Congress.
President Roosevelt today also is
studying with interest the public re-
action to his action yesterday in con-
nection with the textile strike. He
is being kept advised of the develop
ments in the widespread labor walk
out, although he showed no indication
of making any further comment.
With his conference with Co-ordi-
nator Eastman out Of the way, the
President laid aside his Office cares
and, accompanied by Mrs. Roosevelt,
embarked on an excursion that would
take them into the nearby mountains
and afford an opportunity to visit
several of the New Deal camps in this
section. Most important, this after
noon in the open will give the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Roosevelt another
chance to indulge in a picnic by the
roadside somewhere along the way.
On this outing they will be accom-.
panied only by Secretary M. H. McIn-
tyre and newspaper correspondents
and photographers.
One of the camps to be visited on
this automobile ride is the one estab-
ished on Bear Mountain for unem-
ployed and destitute young women.
Mrs. Roosevelt was the originator of
the idea of establishing this camp,
which Is known as Camp Terra, the
name being an abbreviation Of ''Tem-
porary Emergency Relief Association"