RAILROAD SITUATION j
IS NOW LARGELY
UP TO CONGRESS
Must Share Responsibility In
Future Development.
ROBERT S. LOVETT'S VIEWS
"Unification of Regulation Is Essential."
A Comploto, Harmonious, Consistent
and Related System Nssdsd—Federal
Incorporation of Railroade by Gener
al Law Favored.
Washington, March 2t>.— Responsibil
ity for the railway development of the
country, for providing necessary trans
portation facilities to care for the grow
ing business and population of the
oountry, now rests largely with con
gress and not entirely with the rail
road managers. This was the state
ment of Judge Robert S. Lovett, chair
man of the executive committee of the
Union Pacific system, to the Newlauds
Joint congressional committee when
that body resumed its inquiry into
the subject of railroad regulation this
week.
In making this statement of the
changed conditions of the railroad sit
uation Judge Lovett undoubtedly had
in mind the decision of the supreme
court on the Adamson law, handed
down last week, which establishes the
right of the federal government to fix
railroad wages and to prevent strikes.
This decision is regarded by railroad
men and lawyers as marking an epoch
in the development of transportation
in the United States.
"We have our share of responsibil
ity," said Judge Lovett, "but it rests
primarily on congress. When the gov
ernment regulates the rates and the
financial administration of the raii- I
roads, the borrowing of money and the
issuance of securities it relieves the
railroad officers of the responsibility of i
providing and developing transporta
tion systems, except within the limits
of the revenue that can be realized from j
such rates and under such restrictions.
"For a country such as ours, for a
people situated as we are, to blunder
along with a series of unrelated, incon
sistent, conflicting statutes enacted by
different states without relation to
each other, instead of providing a com
plete and carefully studied and pre
pared system of regulation for a busi
ness that is so vital to the life of the
nation, is worse than folly."
He summed up the present problems
an<f difficulties of the railroads as fol
lows:
First—The multiplicity of regula
tions by the several states with respect
to the issue of securities, involving de
lays and conflicting state policies gen
erally dangerous and possibly disas
trous.
Second.—The state regulation of
rates in such a manner as to unduly
reduce revenues, to discriminate in fa
vor of localities and shippers within
its own borders as against localities
and shippers in other states and to dis
turb and disarrange the structure of
interstate rates.
Third.—The inability of the Inter
state Commerce Commission, whoever
the commissioners may be, to perform
the vast duties devolving upon it un
der existing laws, resulting In delay—
which should never occur in commer
cial matters—and compelling the com
missioners to accept the conclusions of
their employees as final in deciding
matters of great importance to the
commercial and railroad interests of
the country.
Fourth.—The practical legality that
has been accorded conspiracies to tie
up and suspend the operation of the
railroads of the country by strikes and
violence and the absence of any law
to compel the settlement of such dis
putes by arbitration or other Judicial
means, as all other issues between citi
zens in civilized states are to be set
tled.
Fifth.—The phenomenal increase in
the taxation of railroads in recent
years.
Sixth.—The cumulative effect of
these conditions upon the investing
public, to which railroad companies
must look for the capital necessary to
continue development.
"We believe that the unification of
regulation is essential," said Judge
Lovett, "and that with the rapid in
crease of state commissions in recent
years congress will in time be com
pelled to exercise its power in the
premises. To unify regulation there
should be a complete, harmonious, con
sistent and related system. We be
lieve the best, if not the only practical
plan, is the federal incorporation of
railroads by general law, which will
make incorporation thereunder com
pulsory, thus imposing on all railroad
companies throughout the United
States the same corporate powers and
restrictions with respect to their finan
cial operations and the same duties
and obligations to the public and the
government, so that every investor will
know precisely what every railroad
corporation may and may not lawfullv
do."
Judge Lovett contended that the so
lution of these problems and difficul
ties rested with congress. He told the
committee that under the constitution
the authority of the federal govern
ment is paramount, that congress has
the power to legislate for a centralized
control of railroads under federal char
ters and that It only remains for that
body to exercise that power.
PLANS TO OFa ER A BILL
TO GIVE FRANCE A BILLION
RICHMOND, VA., March 30.
—Representative Andrew J.
Montague of the Third Congres
sional District, who in a speech
last night at the City Auditor
ium predicted war almost imme
diately after the convening of
the special session of Congress,
today voiced his approval of The
New York World's suggestion
that the United States give a bil
lion dollars outright to France.
"I favor a gift to France of
$1,000,000,000 as a token of
gratitude and the solidity of the
Republic's institutions," he said
"and if no such measure is sub
mitted by the Committee on For
eign Relations of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, it is my pre
sent purpose to offer a bill for
such a gift."
LIST OF LETTERS
Remaining uncalled for in the
Indiana office, March 24, 1917:
Quincy Adams, Mr. Nick Bal
lo, Mr. Clarence Baker, Mr. Jas.
H. Buterbaugh, Mr. Albert Da
vis, Mr. S. J. Dickie, Lester
Gardner, Miss Helen E. Miller,
Miss Myrtle Miller, Mr. Alvin
McGarvey, Miss Margaret Mc-
Clure, Mr. Robert S. Nimmo, Mr.
Edmond Power, Mr. Stacy Ray,
Miss Marion Spencer, H. J.
Springer, Miss Mildred Slovens
ky, Miss Mary Elizabeth Thom
as.
Mr. John L. Arthur, Peter
Eakel, Mrs. Mary Empfield (2
letters) Mr. Dale Green, Mr.
Ward Hoagen (3 letters), Miss
Margaret Hamilton, Mr. M. P.
Meyer, Mr. Clarence McEmon
(of Martin Rager), Mrs. Eliza
beth Palmer, Mr. Albert Patter
son, Mr. Z. T. Parks, Miss Jean
ette Sweeney, Miss Ella Tor
rence, Mary J. White, Jan Wiek,
Mrs. E. Knoles, Magagnati Gio
vanni.
When inquiring for letters in
fiiis list please state that they
were advertised, giving date.
HARRY W. FEE, P. M.
Statement of the Ownership, Manage
ment, Circulation, Etc., Required by
the Act of Congress of August 24,
1912.
Of The Patriot, published weekly at
Indiana, for April, 1917,
Publisher, Editor, Managing Editor,
Business Manager, Francesco Bia
monte, Indiana, Pa.
That the owner is Francesco Bia
monte, Indiana, Pa.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
WALTER H. AYERS,
Prothonotary.
this 27th day of March, 1917,
WANTED
A farmer for a large farm;
will have to furnish his own
team, etc. 150 acres or over of
cleared land, good and easy to
work, plenty of fruit, 3 1-2 miles
from Marion Center.
J. H. Rochester,
Marion Center, Pa.
PATRIOTS HASTEN MOVE
TO COMBAT DARK
INFLUENCES
NEW YORK, March 30.—1n
order to offset a possible move
by the German government to
paralyze the efforts of Congress
in dealing with the war crisis,
groups of patriotic citizens in
New York, Chicago, Boston and
Philadelphia undertook today to
organize a pilgrimage of patriot
ism to Washington to attend the
opening of the extraordinary
session of Congress.
In New York, where public
spirited men had become ner
vous lest some "dark influence"
MAJ. GEN. LEONARD WOOD
COPYRIGHT UNDERWOOD } UNDERWOOD, N. V.
Commander of the department of the east, who will have
charge of the land forces in case of war.
be exerted on the Congress, ar
rangements were made today on
an hour's notice for a special
train to Washington on Sunday.
They got into communication
with friends in other cities and
in a short time assurances were
received from them that other
special trains would be organiz
ed. The pilgrimage of patriotism
is the spontaneous reaction to
the suggestion received from
various sources today that the
imperial German chancellor
would spring a "peace move" as
a bait to Congress. There was a
conference of men connected
with Columbia University, the
American Rights League and
other organizations. La macchina del
: business mail j
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Pagamento Facile di Soli 10 Soldi al Giorno.
Agenzia Italiana E
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