Milford chronicle., 1946-06-07

laws are sustained, the entire rate-lnaklng
system and the authority OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission which is responsible
for the system, will be largely nullified. TO
avoid such disintegratiOn of Il time-tested
rate-making procedure, Il proposal has been
submitted in Congress, called the BulWlnkle
Bill clearly defining the authority Of the In
terState Commerce Commission. The mpOr
tance of this bill to rail transportation and to
the nation, cannot be OVereStmated. Its en-
actment would protect the existence Of the
nerve center of modern rail transportation
The Association of American Railroads,
which, according to Major General Charles
P. Gross, former Chief of Transportation of
the United States Army, was one Of the
great factors in the early termination Of the
war" General Gross made this statement
before the senate committee conducting hear
ings on the Bulwnkle Bill. He pointed out
that had it not been for the Association of
American Railroads, 1--WE would have been
obliged to natiOnaliZe the railroads for the
prosecution of the war. Had we had to do
that, | do not think the operations would
have been so efficient"
Throughout the war, said General Gross,
the War Department was in constant con-
tact with the A. A. X. For instance if we
had troops piling up at the port of embarkH-
ton at Hampton Roads, we sought the help
because of weather conditions and were seek
ing prorities for certain types of movement
to General Eisenhower, we again sought the
A. A. RS help. E. In the field of planning
for the Pacific War we were assisted IN
having the Western railroads increase their
physical capacity to handle our freight in
preparation for that part Of the War. 1t was
an ideal arrangement"
When the efficiency OF an organization
4 l.
retained. That is what the RuWinkle Bill
seeks to do in the field of transportation.
a~e@~
THE FAVORITE PASTlME Of some of
today's self-styed liberals is to tear the hide
off corporation profits. Where do these profits
go that these liberals SO enjoy caStigating?
Consider one of the leading corporations,
an oil company. This company earned Il net
profit of nearly $90OO,OOO in l9l3--a lot Of
money. But as the company points out, this
profit, like tax revenue, is divided among Il
lot of people. The company is owned by about
$4,000 individual Americans enough to make
a city the size of Santa Barbara, California.
They live in many sections Of the country.
They own an average of 1877 shares Of stock
apiece. No one holds more than t.. per cent
of the total shares outstanding. The $4,000, :
600 divided among these 35, 900 people aver
ages about $3.50 per person. However. this
company. consisting Of 154 milhCn dollars
worth OF oil wells, retinerieS, service stations,
etc, set aside $4OOOOO for the business
Dividends paid out-money that actually
went to the OWnerS-averaged Just $137. ~
per stOckhOlder-$ll Lac per month. Wages
paid out averaged $32S3 per employee, on
$274 per month.
No matter how the critics of profit paint
the picture they cannot conceal the fact that
American industry does not represent the
investment of a few milliOnaireS but the
combined savings Of thousands of citizens
Neither can they conceal the fact that with
out some such method Of financing heavy in
dustry, American mass production, the envy
of the entire world, could never have been
accomplished.
WITH THE INTRODUCTION of the
Wagner -Dngell compulsory health
insurance bill, the old struggle of socialism
versus private enterprise is back again. II
doesn't matter whether it is fish and chips
electricity, pills, or cigars, the socialist wants
government label instead Of the trademark
OF private enterprise.
The bill which is designed to benefit those
too poor to pay for medical service, is by ne
means cheap. The estimate of Arthur j
Altmeyer, Chairman of the Social Security
Board, that the cost would be about $27 ;
person year, 1t can be figured that in Il fam
lily OF three, three times $27 would be ne
small contribution. Even a system of com
pulsOry health insurance will not bring med
cal service to those who are negligent Of THEN
health.
The American Medical Association adv0
Gates a national program to improve the gen
eral health Of the nation. This could be ac
cOmpllShed by a voluntary plan or plans
which would provide facilities for the care
OF the sick, with local government cOntr
butlng necessary funds or facilities in espe
clally poor areas. The entire public SHOULD
not be regimented into Il plan to care for
relatively much small group
WHEN THE WEST COAST developed ar
lnclplent smallpox epidemic, health author
ties and the medical profession moved Will
astonishing efficiency. Vaccination Of hun
dreds OF thousands of persons and prompt
Isolation OF known cases soon put Il stop tC
spread of the disease AlertneSs of this kline
on the part of medical authorities is so thor
Oughly taken for granted that not Il word OF