Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-21
Trucking Industry Sees
Pricing System Threat


A specter Of economic disaster
FOR the American trucking indus
Try was raised today before the
anal meeting Of the American
Trucking Associations.
The industry was warned BY
James K. Knudson. former Inter-
state Commerce Commission
member, that the agreed
charges" system Of railroad rates
as used now In Britain and
Canada would destroy the truck
ing industry In this country.
An agreed charge" Is Q rate
agreed upon by o carrier for the
transport Of all or any part Of
the goods Of Q shipper or group
of shippers.
In today's final session Of the
Truckers meeting they elected
c. ]. williams Of Milwaukee as
president. He succeeds Nell j.
Curry Of Los Angeles. who be-
comes chairman Of the board.
Cabinet Report Opposed
Much Of the discussion Of the
convention has been devoted "a
the Cabinet Committee Report
on Transport Policy. This report
has recommended drastic modi-
fications Of ice authority to reg
uiate railroad rates.
The trucking industry has been
raising q 81 million slight for
survival" fund to pnblicize its OPP
position to the report. II was an
nounced today that about three
fourths Of this fund has been
raised In cash and pledges.
Mr.. Knudson called the agreed
charges plan "a revolutionary
turn backward toward the origi-
nal idea Of allowing the rail-
roads to establish rates In the
same manner that Q merchant
establishes prices--in the open
market place - in the field 81
competition
He cited Q British authority as
saying the plan freed the rail-
ways from statutory obligations
about equal treatment and un-
due preference.
Canadian Trucking Loss
Canadian truckers have esti-
mated their industry lost sal
million in revenue to the rail-
roads in loss Of trafi1c resulting
from 81 agreed charges now in
effect. Mr.. Knudson reported.
He warned that under pres
sure from railroads and shippers
the Government here may yield
as governments did in Great
Britain and Canada. Motor
carriers. he said, would be left
IN the position Of being nothing
more than local carriage oper-
ators.
The shippers he added.
''would be happy. like larls. for
q season but eventually would
be sitting ducks for the railroads
when trucking competition has
been eliminated"
Other officers elected by the
organization today include r. c.
williams Of Russell. Kans.: A. e.
Cudlipp Of Lufkin. Tex; Richard
A. Moran Of Providence, r. /.
and Guy Rutland, jr., Hapeyille.
Ga. respectively first to fourth
vice presidents; John M. Akers
| Of Gastonia. N. c.. treasurer, and
Chester q. Moore or Mara tnora,
Fla, and Chicago. III, secretary.
Howard Pyle. former Cover
nor Of Arizona. q deputy. assist
ant to President Eisenhower.
told the group yesterday that
the policies Of previous Demo-
cratic administrations have been
reversed by the sale Of I'M
dustrial plants and Government
owned lands.
This has put the power Of
production back into the hands
Of private citizens, he said. The
trend Of Government ownership
and operation. he said. resulted
in o 270 per cent increase In
public wealth during the 1896
and 1905 while private wealth
increased by only 1871 per cent.
Hits 1t Critics
MIR. Pyle said critics Of the
present administration have
falsely labeled this withdrawal
from competition with private
: industry as a Republican 'give-
away program"
I'VE are convinced that on the
basis Of indisputable facts we
are doing the best job that has
been done In Washington In
years and years." Mr.. Pyle said.
You have in Washington to-
day an administration that be-
heves In the integrity Of business.
the ability Of business to direct
It's destiny to the common good. !"
he said.
Mr.. Pyle added that the Eisen-
hover administration has not
made attempts to pit one seq
-