Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 294, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1916 — SAFETY DEMANDS FEDERAL CONTROL OF THE RAILROADS [ARTICLE]

SAFETY DEMANDS FEDERAL CONTROL OF THE RAILROADS

Only Way to Meet Emergencies ot Nation, Says A. P. Thom. STATES' RIGHTS PRESERVED Principle! Which Railways Hold Should “ Govern Regulatory System In Interests of Public and the Roads —Compulsory System of Federal Incorporation Favored. Washington, Dec. 4.—That the Interests of nationaf defense require that control of railway lines should rest with the federal government and not with the states was the claim advanced by Alfred P. Thom, counsel to the Railway Executives’ Advisory Committee, in concluding his preliminary statement of the case for the railways before the Newlands Joint' Committee on Interstate Commerce. "• “We must be efficient as a nation if we are to deal successfully with our national emergencies,” said Mr. Thom, “and wtvmust appreciate that efficient transportation th an essential condition of national efficiency. If we are to halt and weaken our transportation systems by state lines, by the permanent imposition of burdens by unwise regulation, we will make national efficiency impossible." States’ Rights Would Not Suffer. A Mr. Thom cited many Instances in which shippers In one state were injuriously affected by selfish regulations Imposed on the railroads by neighboring states. He pointed out that federal regulation would be no Invasion of the rights of the states but would be the means of preserving the rights which they acquired when they entered the Union, one of which was the right to the free-nnovement of their products across state boundaries. What the Railroads Advocate. The principles which the railroads believe should be Incorporated In any just system of regulation were summarized by Mr. Thom ,as follows: 1. The entire power and duty of regulation should be In the -hands of, the national government, except as to matters so essentially local and Incidental that they cannot be used to Interfere with the efficiency of the service or the just rights of the carriers. 2. As one of the means of accomplishing this, a system of compulsory federal incorporation should be adopted, Into which should be brought all railroad corporations In interstate or foreign commerce. 3. The Interstate Commerce Commission under existing laws has too much to do and is charged with conflicting functions, Including the Investigation, prosecution and decision of cases. The latter duties should be placed in the hands of a new body which might be called- the Federal Railroad Commission. Regional Commissions should be established in different parts of the country to assist the Interstate Commerce Commission by handling local cases. 4. The power of the ‘Commission should be extended to enable it to prescribe minimum rates and not merely maximum rates as at present. This would increase their power to prevent unjust discriminations. Justice to Public snd Roads. 5. It should be made the duty of the Interstate Commerce Commission, in the exercise of its powers to, fix reasonable rates, to so adjust these rates that they shall be just at once to the public and to the carriers. To this end the Commission, in determining rates, should consider the necessity of maintaining efficient transportation and extensions of facilities, the relation of expenses to rates and the rights of shippers, stockholders and creditors of the roads. 6. The Interstate Commerce Commission should be invested with the power to fix the rates for carrying mails. 7. The federal government should have exclusive power to supervise the issue of stocks and bonds by railroad carriers engaged in Interstate, and foreign commerce. ( 8. The law should recognize the essential difference between things which restrain trade In the case of ordinary mercantile concerns and those which restrain trade In the case of common carriers. The question of competition is not the only fair criterion. " 9. The law should expressly provide for the meeting and agreement of traffic or other officers of railroads In respect of rates or practices. This should, however, be safeguarded by requiring the agreements to be filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission and to be subject to be disapproved by It “My l£gal proposition,” Mj. Thom said, “is that the Constitution as it now is gives full authority to Congress to regulate the instrumentalities of interstate commerce ip all their parts. If the power of regulation is to reach the public Requirements, it must be coextensive with the instrumentalities of commerce.’/ Mr. Thom explained that the roads are not asking either of the Committee or of Congress any increase,ln reve--4 nues. but that they are merely asking the perfection of -a system which will be responsible to any need that may arise.