Evening star., 1944-12-29
Appointment Row
Reported Brewing
In Rail Rate Case
BY j. A. FOX.

The long standing Southerl
freight rate controversy now threat
ems to create a row ever an ap
pointment to the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
Reports have been current TO,
some time that Southerners in Con
gress want an appointee who "un
derstands" their railroad problem!
to replace Commissioner Charlie!
D. Mahaffie, whose term expires
Sunday. The authoritative Traffic
World names c. E. Childe O.
Omaha, a member of the defunct
Board of Investigation and Re.
search and an advocate of crate
equality" as their candidate, anc
quotes Senator Maybank, Demo.
crat, of South Carolina as saying
I'VE hope" the Nebraskan is nomi-
mated
This board, set up under the
transportation Act of 1910, made
a series of traffic studies, and
in one report, Mr.. Childe was
in two-man majority which
recommended that Congress give
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion a clear mandate to frame a
uniform scale of class rates-the
principle advocated in the South.
Assurance for One.
Senator Hill, Democrat, of Ala
banna said after recent White
House visit that he had received as
surance of the reappointment OF
Commissioner j. Haden Andredge,
an Alabaman, whose term also ex-
pres Sunday.
There has been no official word
on Mr.. Mahaffe, veteran career
man" on the commission, but the
adverse reports we're considered OF
sufficient substance to start ac-
ton in his behalf within the Asso-
ciation of Interstate Commerce
Commission Practitioners, whose
members argue cases before the
commission.
Looking on the suggestion OF a
change in the commission makeup
as political maneuver, local mem
bers of the association have voted to
lay the whole matter before the ma
tional membership for action-if
this becomes necessary. An ap-
peal to President Roosevelt is
considered likely. Wilbur La Roe,
ir., one of the leaders in this
movement, said those identified with
it oppose the injection of politics
into rate making and that they
wanted to see the commission kept
as independent as the Supreme
Court"
Others familiar with Mr. Ma
hafle's work are puzzled by the i'm
plication that he doesn't under
stand" the transportation problems
of any region, without regard to geu-
graphical location. One of the most
highly regarded members of the
commission, they point to his repu-
tation for independence and impair
tiality.
Charge Discrimination.
The rate dispute had It's origin
In the contention of Southern in
terests that the railroads have dis
eliminated against their section to
the advantage of the North and
East in establishing class rates.
The result has been, according to
their argument, that industrial de-
velopment in the South has been
stifed. The most vocal of the ad-
vocates of rate parity has been the
Southern Governors Conference,
and in the past year the governors
have been strongly supported by
Vice President Wallace and the
Justice Department.
In the course of the recent presi-
Dental campaign, Mr.. Wallace and
department spokesmen, in speeches
portrayed both South and West as
victims of rate discrimination and
the department, charging collusive
rate making practices, started anti
trust proceedings under the Sher-
man Act against the Western car
riers and Eastern banking interests
which likewise we're accused Of join
ing in the reputed conspiracy.
In another move, the State of
Georgia is proceeding in the Su-
sreme Court now against 20 of the
hajor lines east of the Mississippi
River, demanding that they be
,orced to equalize their charges be-
,ween the South and other parts of
ale country. The court will hear
Tuesday on whether it
hould consider the complaint, in
which Georgia also asks for damages
Lpproximating s11, 100000 Here, too,
he Justice Department has inter-
'ened, accusing the carriers of Con-
piracy' and asking the case be
aeard.
ICC Studies Issue.
Concurrently, the Interstate Com
nerce Commission is studying the
class rate issue, and has in prepara-
ton a decision on a proposal to
equalize class rates. In companion |
case, the question involved is
whether uniform commodity CLASH
hcations shall be established over
the country. These classifications
now vary with the region. In some
quarters, 1t is felt that the class
rate issue has been overemphasized,
because so much freight moves on
rates applicable to particular COM
modities.
A change in the commission mem
bership would mean that only nine
commissioners would pass on these
two rate cases, as the newest men,
ber, George M. Barnard of Indiana,
who succeeded the late Joseph B.
Eastman, is not eligible, nor would
successor to Mr.. Mahaffie be.
South and West are represented
by eight of the II commission men,
bers. The others are Mr.. Barnard
of Indiana, Commissioner Carroll
Miller of Pennsylvania and Mr..
Mahaf1e, native of Kansas, who
claims the District as his home
after 20 years residence. The
political makeup is six Democrats,
four Republicans and one Inde-
pendent.
Predicts Protest.
One observer is responsible for the
statement that the replacement of
Mr. Mahaffia bv XLactornor ~