Milford chronicle., 1945-06-15
FRIDAY, JUNE -. 1915

REPRESENTATIVES, BULWINKIE of North Car
olina has introduced in Congress a bill I'll. r 2536,
to make more effective and workable the system OF
regulated competition in the field of transportation
which, over the year. has been built up by Congress-
The purpose of the bill is clear up questions
which have been raised how. and by whom
Federal regulation OF rates and service of common
carriers shall be administered whether by an
perienced agency of Congress, the Interstate Com
merce Commission organized and equipped to carry
out a consistent and continuing policy, by the
conflicting determinations of various jures in differ
ent district courts. acting under antitrust laws.
Common carriers operate under the provisions
of the Interstate Commerce Act. To meet their
sponsibes under this Act. they find necessary
to maintain cooperative organizations and arrange
ments for the joint handling of matters of common
interest. This necessity has long been recognized
by responsible Government authorities. we'll as
by shippers and carriers. 1t is now cOntended by
the antitrust division of the Department of Justice,
however. that acts and arrangements which are
necessary and lawful under the Interstate Commerce
Act are unlawful under the Antitrust Act.
The railroads, and other common carriers as
we'll are thus in the position OF being threatened
by one law for doing that without which they could
properly their responsibilities under another
law. The shippers and the public, in consequences
are threatened with losing the great advantages
of transportation which exist only under such
arrangements
The Bulwinkle Bill by clearly stating the intent
of Congress- will resolve the dilemma in which
carriers and the shippers find themselves as a
result of the difference of opinion between the De-
partment of Justice the one hand, and the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. the shippers and the
carriers the other
This difference is which can be finally and
definitely cleared up only by an expression from
the Congress itself That is the purpose Of his
bill as expressed by Mr.. Bulwinklc the removal
of great part of the uncertainty and confusion
which has hampered and which will hamper. the
railroads to a great extent if this or some similar
bill is not passed" The situation. he added re
qures and demands an immediate, common-senSe
remedy + =. The carriers cannot serve two mas
ters; therefore, it becomes the duty of the Congress
to say which Government agency, or department
shall have control of the regulation OF railroads
and other carriers
The bill introduced in furthcrance OF thlS com
nonsense idea. leaves the antitrust laws in full
force and effect so they apply to carriers sub
iect to the Interstate Commerce Act except as tt
those arrangements among them which are submitted
to the Interstate Commerce Commission. and are ap
proved by it being in furtherance of the nationa
transportation policy declared by Congress in th
Transportation Act of 1910 1t is expressly provided
that no agreement may be approved which would uh
reasonably limit abridge the right OF any carrie
to act independently of others In other words ther
could be no coercive agreement by whicn the con
Currence any carrier could be compelled by actlo
of other carriers "Thc treatment which this hi
gives to surface carriers' Mr. Bulwinkle explains
"is similar to that given to air carriers undo
the Civil AerOnaucs Act.
The need for such treatment is particular
pressing in the of the railroads. They form
vast ineraced. cOordinated system of Tanspor
Freight cars of any railroad can. and do. run i'll III