Evening star., 1950-05-14

became public. transportation
people claimed they saw in them
an ominious state Of affairs for
the future. Those plans, they de-
clared with heat and alarm, take
the ICC. CAB and Maritime Com
mission out of the status OF agents
of Congress. which for 100 years
has held control over interstate
commerce. and centralizeS COM
plete control of each agency in
its chairman, appointed by the
President and subject to the will
Of the Executive.
| Fears pyramided among the
transportation interests and Con-
gress was besieged to do some-
thing. Accordingly. two resolu-
tions opposing plan No. 7 tthe
ICC) and No. 81 MARITIME Com
mission) were introduced in the
Senate. One against plan 7 was
put forth in the House and failed.
No resolution opposing plan No.
Is for the CAB has yet been in
troduced. The Senate Expend-
itures Committee has voted to
report favroably the resolution OPP
posing plan No. 7 sponsored by
Chairman johnson. Democrat. Of
Colorado of the Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee. It
still is considering the resolution
opposing plan 81 by Senator
Brewster. Republican, of Maine.
If and when either or both reso-
lutions are favorably reported to
the Senate and are put to
vote. the plans will still go into
effect at midnight May % unless
40 Senator's majority of the
authroized membership-are on
the floor and vote TO kill the
plans.
Need 40 Senators
The possibility Of rounding up 40
Senators who will vote against
the Presidents plans appears
weaker as the deadline ap-
proaches. but the scrappy trans
portation family. momentarily
unified in this common cause"
promises a continuation Of that
unified front and proclaims the
determination to head of the
hounds Of Government owner
ship" It is to be expected. they
will concede. that time out will
be taken now and then to slug
one another as competitive busi-
ness problems require and prob
ably more from force of habit
over the past 80 years. But it
does seem certain that the COM
plex transportation problem of the
Nation will be in for more atten-
ton and consideration from now
on than ever before and that the
chances of solution are bright
er. through concessions to one
another than through surrender
of private ownership to the Gov
ernment. The "evil" they find in
plans 7, 13 and 81 and it is set
forth here in composite and con-
SOlldaCeQ form as.
| Adroit steps to transfer COM
plete control of transportation to
the executive branch which can
lead straight to Government own
ership and open the door for
Specialization of transportation and
the addition of 10 million voters
to the Federal payroll. The plans
pretend" to be Hoover Commits
sion proposals, but go beyond
them in dangerous directions. No
opportunity was granted any
form of transportation or any
shipper group to discuss the pro-
posals before they were SUBJ
mitted to Congress. They consti-
tute presidential directive" to
the Senate and House. The issue
of whether the transportation OF
America is to be ruled by the
executive branch or kept under
congressional control is so vital
that it should be submitted to the
people at a national election. The
crime of this" Is that too many
businessmen and others inter-
ested in efficient Government are
indorsing everything in these
plans in the belief they are the
Hoover Commission recommenda-
tions and in so doing they are
playing right into the hands Of
those who advocate the welfare
state for America.
BY centralizing complete ad-
ministrative control of each of
these agencies in presidentially
appointed chairman of each.
power is given the President (any
President) to maneuver transpor-
tation in support Of any measure
for further controls over the Ma
tion's economy.
Hoover Hits Back
Former President Hoover. last
Tuesday in an address before the
Sales Executive Club in New York.
was reported as saying the reor-
ganiZation program has begged
down" and would probably suffer
the same fate as one attempted IS
years ago. Practically every
single item in this program has in
variably met with opposition Of
some vested official or 1t has dis
turbed some vested habit or Of
Tended some organized minority"
Mr.. Hoover was reportd as having
declared.
II Mr.. Hoover had in mind any
particular organization behind the
vigorous opposition advanced thus
far by the transportation people. it
is no secret that that organization
is the Transportation Association
OF America. with headquarters in
Chicago, a research and educa-
tional institution dedicated to the
constant study of the physical.
financial and regulatory aspects Of
all transportation and to the re-
lationships Of these vast public