Evening star., 1935-04-30
PRESIDENT DRAFTS
TRANSPORT PLANS
Coordination of Rails, Wa
ter, Highways and Air
Lines Favored.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,

President Roosevelt is preparing a
new message to Congress on the trans
portation service, which is expected to
emphasize development and co-ordi-
nation of all branches-rail, water,
highway and air-primarily in the in
terest of the public.
The bill drafted by Joseph B. East
man, Federal co-ordinator of trans
portation, to reorganize the Interstate
Commerce Commission is dead, can
vass of members of the House Com
mittee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce discloses.
The bill sponsored by Senator Wheel
er and Representative Huddleston of
Alabama, known as the motor carrier
act" providing for regulation of the
transportation of passengers and prop
erty by motor carriers operating in
interstate commerce, already passed
by the Senate, will be passed by the
House, probably next week, Chairman
Rayburn of the Interstate Commerce
Committee predicts. The bill is part
of a complete and co-ordinated pro-
gram of legislation recommended by
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
touching all forms of transportation.
The ultimate objective of the en-
tire program is system Of co-ordl-
mated transportation for the Nation
which will supply the most efficient
means of transportation and furnish
service as cheaply as is consistent with
fair treatment of labor and with
earnings to support adequate credit
and the ability to expand.
Held Up in House.
This transportation legislation has
been held up in the House committee
behind the public utility bill, one Of
the big three" musts on the admin
istration program. This measure pro-
vides for control in the public interest
of public utility holding companies
using the mails and the facilities Of
interstate commerce to regulate the
transmission and sale of electric en-
ergy and natural gas in interstate and
foreign commerce. After eight weeks
of all-day hearings Chairman RAY
burn is about to name three sub
committees to work out the best pro-
visions for ID amendments to the
water power act; ~ control of cleo
tricity and power: t3) regulation OF
the gas industry. This bill will be re-
ported to the House in about week.
President RooSeyelt's transportation
message probably will not urge any
particular bill It is indicated that
ne will discuss each phase Of transpor-
tation service. showing the require
ments for development of railroad,
waterway, motor highway and air
carriers. and suggest coordination.
Legislative leaders are of the opinion
that the President will not support
Eastman's bill. which calls for an
enlarged Interstate Commerce Com
mission with a concentrated control.
The other 10 commissioners bluntly
opposed this measure in a report to
Congress, saying that there is little
profit in present discussion OF re-
organization of the commission 70
meet duties which are yet wholly
hypothetical
Regarding the so-called Control
Board provision of the Eastman plan,
! they frankly told Congress:
This Control Board would In es-
sence be the commission. The re-
manning members, more than a ma
| iority of the whole number, will still
be called commissioners. will be little
more than examiners. and privileged
to vote in the disposition of but a
limited class of cases. While theoreti-
cally they will be equals with the
commissioners who will sit as members
of the Control Board, they will have
no voice in any matters Of admins
tration; they cannot advise with their
colleagues, except through courtesy,
and they will not join in the reports
| Of the commission to Congress. Such
a form of organization must result
! in discord and in inef1ciency and
| lack of concert of action"
Eastman Term Over June is.
The term of Eastman as Federal
| co-ordinator expires on June is. The
| eTeSlQenG CdIl chlSilO II ulluCL eAlC
law. The work that the co-ordinator
| has been doing would logically be
turned over to a division of the COM
mission, of which the present CO.
! ordinator might be chairman.
There is considerable interest in the
Wheeler -HuddleSton bill. which has
been considered in executive sessions
for several weeks by subcommittee
consisting Of Representatives Huddles-
ton of Alabama, Bulwirkle OF North
Carolina. Terry of Arkansas, Sadowski
of Michigan, all Democrats; Wads-
worth of New York and Holmes Of
Massachusetts, both Republicans. That
committee is in session this afternoon
| preparing to draft its report to the
full committee. which will make con-
cessions to those who have feared the
legislation was going to hamper high
way transportation and bus service.