RAiLWAYEGOflOMtC«
RAILWAY
BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION
BULLETIN No. 18
VUASHÎMGTON, 0, »
National Organization of Manufacturing, Mercan¬
tile and Engineering Concerns which Ûeal with
Steam Railways, Formed to Promote Cooperation
in the Solution of Transportation Problems
¿ X'f ) L-Ctf C* I
'A
Defects in Railway Regulation
»
An Address to Business Organizations Suggesting that they
Emphasize the. Necessity for Improvements in the
Methods of Government Supervision over Carriers by Rail
^HAMBERS of commerce and
national trade associations are
invited to consider the adoption of
resolutions upon the question of
making railroad regulation more
salutary. An opportunity to make
influence felt is afforded by the in¬
quiry into this subject now going
forward in Congress.
Betterment of facilities is laggard.
New construction has practically
ceased.
Shippers and carriers have co-
-operated cordially and effectively for
larger use of existing equipment and
track, but current increase in ton¬
nage has. taxed rolling-stock and
terminals beyond their capacity.
The reasons for these conditions
are clear :
Expense have risen faster than
earnings, and no branch of the gov¬
ernment performs the function of
providing enlarged revenues to meet
the higher costs. It is vital to na¬
tional prosperity and safety that this
defect in regulation be corrected.
The country is entitled to ade¬
quate mechanism and methods of
regulation. Delegates to national
party conventions and members of
the Federal Senate and House are
entitled to know what men of af¬
fairs think about this question.
To Discuss Evils
The Railway Business Associa¬
tion, at this stage, points out evils
rather than defines remedies.
VÍEÍ-
\ Op
Though deeply interested in the
welfare of the railways, because it
is upon their purchasing power that
our prosperity depends, we have, as
manufacturers, avoided the discus¬
sion of technical and legal phases
except where previously the subject
of organized inquiry and general
discussion. Representatives of the
railways are laying specific recom-
medations before Congress. The
Railway Business Association acts
with entire independence of them
and speaks only for its own mem¬
bers. We think it is for Congress,
with the aid of specialists, to devise
the precise provisions of law by
which beneficent purposes. are
sought to be accomplished, and for
us, as business men, to give Con¬
gress our actual observation and ex¬
perience.
We call attention to a number of
evils in the present system of regu¬
lation which seem to us to require
remedies.
State Against State \
( 1 ) The people of each state have
suffered injury at the hands of au¬
thorities in other states.
Compulsory expenses imposed by
one state are spread over the rev¬
enue collected in other states. Du¬
plication in cost is paid for by one
state because other states have di¬
vergent regulations. The commerce '
of a state has been deliberately at¬
tacked by other states through dis-
..iininatiön It .was commercial
strife between states, with legal dis¬
criminations as weapons, that led
to the framing of the present Fed¬
eral Constitution. Congress has
only in part exercised its Constitu¬
tional power to protect the people
of every state against the authori¬
ties of other states.
National Defense
(2) National defense is shorn of
transportation efficiency by reason
of divided and conflicting regulation
of railways.
This weakness shows itself in two
ways : First, the drain upon railway
resources, due to state exactions,
has prevented the development of
multiple tracks and of terminals best
adapted to transformation for mili¬
tary service. Second, state laws and
decrees would impede prompt and
vigorous action by way of expendi¬
ture for extraordinary facilities and
adaptation of equipment and service
to military needs.
Nation's Groivtli Retarded
(3) National growth in time of
peace has been retarded through
weakening of the railroads by con¬
flicting and over-lapping jurisdic¬
tions.
Business in this country is largely
interstate. Areas of trade ignore
state lines. Railways have been
united into systems extending
through several or many states.
Regulation, on the other hand,
breaks up these s}-sterns into rail-
mav zones which have no comnier-
ciai significance. Congress has not
assumed the promotion of national
prosnerity through a fully national
regulation of railways. Freedom of
trade is obstructed by the failure of
one state to consider the necessities
of industries elsewhere. A manu¬
facturer or a consumer cannot free¬
ly extend the territory in which he
has the advantage of competition.
Duplication and conflict of regula¬
tion is enormously éostly, and this
comes otit of all the people of the
country, either in rates unnecessari¬
ly high or in facilities artificially
poor.
Incompatible Functions
(4) Litigants in interstate com¬
merce are exposed to injustice be¬
cause the Interstate Commerce
Commission has, under the law, the
incompatible functions of detective,
prosecutor, jury, judge and mechani¬
cal expert. . ^
A shipper whom the Commi.ssion
l as accused of falsely billing a con-
signm.ent, or a railway officer who
has been under charges of irregular
accounting before it, may appear
immediately, asking the same trib¬
unal for consideration in connection
with some discretionary matter in
which his company has a financial
interest. Parties also suffer by de¬
lays and otherwise, because the
Commission is overburdened. The
Commission, under the law, cannot
delegate special subjects to individ¬
ual Commissioners with power, but
must act as a whole. Testing of
safety devices and materials is
nominally and under the law per¬
formed by the Commission, al¬
though actually by bureaus.
Subordinates Inadequate
(5) Subordinates are adjudicating
cases which, under the law, the Com¬
mission alone is competent to de¬
cide. These subordinates are of
greatly inferior official (jjgnity in
emolument and tenure, and are not
presidential appointees.
It follows that a large part of the
business is transacted either by the
Commis.sion without close knowl¬
edge of local or special conditions,
or by subordinates occupying posi¬
tions of much less consideration,
prestige, emolument and tenure.
The incumbency of these subordin¬
ates is not presumptive evidence
that they possess the wisdom and
experience to perform satisfactorily
duties which the law assumes will
be performed by men of such calibre
as to be available for membership in
the Commission itself. Their opin¬
ions, adopted by an overburdened
Commission because lack of time
and opportunity precludes original
research, cannot be expected to com¬
mand the respect and confidence
which attach to the official action
oí those whom the President ap¬
points to the Commission.
Power to Raise Rates
(6) Shippers of one commodity
suffer discrimination when another
commodity pays less than its share
of the total cost of transportation,
because the Commission, in adjust¬
ing rate situations, has no power to
order a rate raised.
The law empowers the Commis¬
sion to fix maximum but not mini¬
mum rates. The Commission can
indicate that if a stipulated read¬
justment is filed this will be sanc¬
tioned; but one railroad, party to
that tariff, can veto the arrangement
by retaining the low rate and get¬
ting all the business. Not only in¬
dividual shippers, but all the ship¬
pers served by all the lines con¬
cerned, are the victims of this situa¬
tion, since the Commission is unable
to order readjustment except
through reductions, and this may so
impair railway resources as to pre¬
vent adequate service.
Protection to the Railway
(7) National industry and agricul¬
ture are under the (J^ad weight of a
transportation system which cannot
grow with the country's needs, be¬
cause the government protects the
individual shipper, but does not un¬
dertake to protect the individual
railroad.
The sta'gnation of railway develop¬
ment is due to the squeeze between
compulsory increase of expenditures
and rigidity or reduction of rates.
This in turn arises from two defects
in the . regulatory system : First,
that Congress has not assumed con¬
trol over all phases of railway regu-
tion where state action-now affects
interstate commerce. Second, that
the Federal statute contains no rule
for the guidance of the Commission
defining just and reasonable rates as
rates which will enable the roads to
attract new capital and grow as the
country grows. The government, in
other words, having left it to private
capital to provide rail highways, has
never by statute recognized its duty
to permit conditions under which
private capital could or would per¬
form that function adequately.
To Restore Railway Strength
(8) Correction of these defects in
the regulatory system would go far
to restore to the railways their abil¬
ity to aid national prosperity.
If they were regulated with a view
to the national welfare, they would
have such earnings in periods of
large tonnage as would provide them
with a surplus fund. This, in years
of general depression, would enable
them to proceed without apprehen¬
sion to make additions and better¬
ments. Present regulation now as¬
sures the proper use of railway re¬
sources. To make improvements
when times are dull has several ad¬
vantages : That is the time to do it
at the least cost; operations of this
kind offer the least obstruction to
traffic, and traffic to them, when ton¬
nage is light ; general unemploy¬
ment can be substantially minimized
if, with a slump in general business,
the greatest purchasing group can
come into the market.
The re-establishment of railway credit and railway purchas¬
ing power would be the most effective insurance policy in which
the American people could invest for resisting the industrial shock
which many think will follow peace in Europe and the cessation of
munitions manufacture in this country.
3
-Railway business association
Members* April 10, 1916
Acme JIachinery Co., Cleveland.
Adams & Westlake Co., Chicago.
Ajax Forge Co., Chicago.
Ajax Mfg. Co., Cleveland.
Alan Wood, Iron & Steel Co., Philadelphia.
^American Arch Co., New York.
American Brake Co., St. Louis.
American Brake Shoe & Fdy. Co., New York.
American Crèosoting Co., New Y'ork.
An\erican Hoist & Derrick Co., St. Paul.
American Locomotive Co., New York.
American Manganese Steel Co., Chicago.
American Materials Co., New Y'ork.
American Radiator Co., Chicago.
American Rolling Mill Co., Middletown, Ohio.
American Steam Gauge & Valve Mfg. Co.,
Boston. ■«
American Steel Foundries, Chicago.
American Valve & Meter Co., Cincinnati.
American Vanadium Co., Pittsburgh.
Armstrong Cork Co., Pittsburgh.
Babcock Lumber Co., Pittsburgh.
Baldwin Locomotive Works (The), Phila¬
delphia.
Barbour Stockwell Co., Cambridge, Mass.
Barney & Smith Car Co., Dayton, Ohio.
Bass Fdy. & Machine Co., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Baughman Stationery Co., Richmond, Va.
- Beck & Corbitt Iron Co., St. Louis.
Berry Brothers, Detroit.
Besly (Charles H.') & Co., Chicago.
Bettendorf Co., Bettendorf, Iowa.
Bosley (D. W.) Co., Chicago.
Bourne-Fuller Co., Cleveland.
Bowser (S. F.) & Co., Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Bradley (Osgood) Ciar Co., Worcester, Mass.
Brill (J. G.) Co., Philadelphia.
"Broderick & Bascom Rope Co., St. Louis.
Bronze Metal Co., New York.
Brooker (Charles F.), Ansonia, Conn.
Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., Providence, R. I.
Buckeye Steel Castings Co., Columbus, Ohio.
Bucyi'us Co., South Milwaukee.
Buda Co., Chicago.
Buffalo Brake Beam Co., New York.
Burden Iron Co., Troy, N. Y.
Cambria Steel Co., Johnstown, Pa.
Camel Co., Chicago,
Carnegie Steel Co., Pittsburgh.
Central Coal & Coke Co., Kansas City, Mo.
Central Electric Co., Chicago.
Central Railway Signal Co., Pittsburgh.
Chase (L. C.) & Co., Boston.
Chicago Car Heating Co., Chicago. ♦
Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., Chicago.
Chicago Railway Equipment Co., (IJhicago.
Chicago Varnish Co., Chicago.
Cleveland Frog & Crossing Co., Cleveland.
Cleveland Twist Drill Co., Cleveland.
Clow (.las, B.) & Sons, Chicago.
Coale (Thomas E.) Lumber Co.,Philadelphia.
Columbus Iron & Steel Co., Columbus, Ohio.
Commonwealth Steel Co., St. Louis.
Continental Iron & Steel Co., New York.
Corning Glass AVorks, Corning, N, Y.
Crerar, Adams & Co., (Chicago.
Crucible Steel Co. of America, Pittsburgh.
Curtain Supply Co., Chicago..
Davis Machine Tool Co., Inc., Rochester,N.Y.
Dayton Malleable Iron Co., Dayton, Ohio.
Dayton Mfg. Co., Dayton, Ohio.
Dearborn (Chemical Co., Chicago.
Devoe (P. W.) & Raynolds (C. T.) Co., New
York.
Dick (A. B.) Co., Chicago.
Dlsston (Henry) & Sons, Inc., Philadelphia.
Dixon (Jos.) Crucible Co., Jersey City.
Dressel Railway Lamp Works, New York.
Duff Manufacturing Co., Pittsburgh.
Durand Steel Locker Co., Chicago.
Eastern Malleable Iron Co., Naugatuck,
Conn.
Electric Railway Journal, New York.
Elliot Frog & Switch Co., E. St. Louis, 111.
Fairbanks, Morse & Co., Chicago.
Flannery Bolt Co., Pittsburgh.
Flint & Chester, Inc., New York.
Fort Pitt Malleable Iron Co., Pittsburgh.
Franklin Railway Supply Co., Franklin, Pa.
Franklin Steel Works, Franklin, Pa.
Galena-Signal Oil Co.,. Franklin, Pa.
Garlock Packing Co., Palmyra, N. Y,
General Electric Co., New Y'ork.
(General Railway Signal Co., Rochester, N. Y.
Gould Coupler Co., New York.
(Graham Nut Co., Pittsburgh.
Grand Rapids Malleable Works, Grand
Rapids, Mich.
Gray (Peter; & Sons, Inc., E. Cambridge,
IMass.
Green's Car Wheel Mfg. Co., St. Louis.
Greene (Stephen) Co., Philadelphia.
Griflin Wheel <¿0., Chicago,
(ärip Nut Co., Chicago.
Gulf Refining Co., Pittsburgh.
Hale & Kilburn C^o., Philad^phia.
Hall Switch & Signal Co., New York.
Hainmett (H. G.;, Troy, N. Y.
Hanna (M. A.) & Co., Cleveland.
Harbison-Walker Refractories Co., Pittsb'gh.
Haskell & Barker Car Co., Michigan City,
ind.
Heath & Milligan Mfg. Co., Chicago.
Hettler (Herman H.) Lumber Co., Chicago.
Hewitt Rubber Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
Heywood Bros, and Wakefield Co., Wake¬
field, Mass.
Hines (Edw.) Lumber Co., Chicago.
Hunt (Robert W.) & Co., Chicago.
Hunt-Spiller Mfg. Corpn., Boston."
Hutchins Car Roofing Co., Detroit.
Illinois Steel Co., Chicago.
Independent Pneumatic Tool Co., Chicago.
Ingersoll-Rand Co., New York.
Inland Steel Co., Chicago.
Joseph (Jos.) & Bros. Co., New York.
Joyce-Watkins Co., Chicago.
Kay & Ess Co., Dayton, Qhio,
Keith Car & Mfg. Co., Sagamore, Mass.
Kerite Insulated Wire & Cable Co., New-
York.
La Belle Iron Works, Steubenville, Ohio.
Laconia Car Co., Boston.
Lackawanna Steel Co., Buffalo. ^
Lima Locomotive Corpn., Lima, Ohio
Link Belt Co., Chicago.
Lockhart Iron & Steel Co., Pittsburgh.
Locomotive Finished Material Co., Atchison,
Kan.
Locomotive Stoker Co., New York.
Locomotive Superheater Co., New Yf-rk
Lodge & Shipley Mach. Tool Co., Cincinnati.
Lukens Iron & Steel Co., Coatesville, Pa.
McConway & Torley Co., Pittsburgh.
McIIvain (J. Gibson) & Co., Philadelphia.
Magnus Co., Inc., New l'York.
Manganese Steel Rail Co., New York
Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Inc., New York.
Marion Malleable Iron Works, Marion, Ind.
Marion Steam Shovel Co., Marion, Ohio,
Maryland Car Wheel Works, Baltimore
Midvale Steel Co., Philadelphia.
Miller Lock Co., Philadelphia.
Milwaukee Coke & Gas Co.. Milwaukee.
Milwaukee-Western Fuel Co., Milwaukee.
Miner (W. H.) Co., Chicago.
Missouri Malleable Iron Co., E. St. Louis, 111.
Morden Frog & Crossing Works, Chicago.
More-Jones Brass & Metal Co., St. Louis.
Morse Twist Drill & Machine Co., New Bed¬
ford, Mass.
Mound City Paint & Color Co., St. Louis.
Mt. Vernon Bridge Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
Mt. Vernon Car Mfg. Co., Mt. Vernon, III.
♦ See supplementary list at end.
4
Murphy Varnish'Co., Newark, N. J.
Nassau Smeltingr & Refining Works, New
York.
Nathan Manufacturing Co., New^ York.
National \Cash Register Co., Dayton, Ohio.
National Lock Washer Co., Newark, N. J.
National Malleable Castings Co., Cleveland.
National Pole Co., Escanaba, Mich.
New York Äir Brake Co., New York.
New York Belting & Packing Co., Ltd., New
Xork.
Niles-Bement-Pond Co., New York.
North Western Fuel Co., St. Paul.
Northern Malleable Iron Co., St. Paul.
Norton Co., Worcester, Mass.
Ohio Brass Co., Mansfield, Ohio.
Oliver Typewriter Co., Chicago.
Otis Elevator Co., New York.
Otis Steel Co., Cleveland.
Oxweld Acetylene Co., Chicago.
P. & M. Co., Chicago.
Pantasote Co., New Y'ork.
Patterson-Sargent Co., Cleveland.
Pearsall Co., Inc., New Y'ork,
Peerless Rubber Mfg. Co-., New York.
Pennsylvania Steel Co.. New York.
Pettibone, Mulliken Co., Chicago. »
Phoenix Iron Co., Philadelphia.
Pickands, Brown & Co., Chicago.
Pickands, Mather & Co., Cleveland.
Pilliod Co., New York.
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Spring & Steel Co., Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steel Co., Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steel Products Co., Pittsburgh.
Pneumatic Gate Co., Chicago.
Poole Bros., Chicago.
Pratt & Letch worth Co., Buffalo.
Prendergast Co., Marion, Ohio.
Pressed Steel Car Co., New Y'ork.
Protectus Paint Co., Philadelphia.
Pyle-National Elec. tieadlight Co., Chicago.
Railroad Supply Co., Chicago.
Railway Age Gazette, Now York.
Railway Steel-Spring Co., New York.
Ralston Steel C.ar Co., Columbus, Ohio.
Raniapo Iron Work.«;, Hillburn, N. Y'.
R.and-, McNally & Co.. Chicago.
Reading Car Wheel Co., Reading, Pa.
Republic Iron & Steel Co.. Youngstown, Ohio.
Rockford M.-illeable Iron W-'ks., Rockford, 111.
Rodger Ballast Car Co., Chicago.
Rogers, Brown & Co®, Chicago.
Ryerson (Jo.seph T.j & Son. Chicago.
Safety Car Healing & Lighting Co., New
Y'ork.
St. Louis Screw Co., St. Louis.
Sawyer Goodman Co., Marinette, Wis.
Schieren (Charles A.) Co.. New York.
Scranton Bolt & Nut Co., Scranton, Pa.
Sellers (William) & Co., Inc., Philadelphia.
Sherburne & Co., Boston.
Sherwin-Williams (The) Co.. Cleveland.
Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis.
Southern Wheel Co., St. Louis. "
Standard Car Truck Co., Chicago.
Standard Coupler Co., New York.
Standard Forgings Co., Chicago.
Standard Heat & Ventilation Co., Inc., New
York.
Standard Safety Nut Corpn., New Yortt.
Standard Steel Car Co., New York.
Standard Steel Works Co., Philadelphia.
Standard Supply & Equipment Co., Philadel¬
phia.
Standard Tool Co., Cleveland.
Standard Underground Cable Co., Pittsburgh.
Storrs Mica Co., Owego, N. Y. ^ -
Symington (T. H.,i Co., New York.
Taylor (W. P,> Co.. Buffalo.
Taylor-Wharton Iron & Sie^l Co., High
• Bridge, N. J,
Texas Co.. New York.
Tindel-Morris Co., Eddystone, Pa.
Transportation Utilities Co., New York.
Tyler Tube &. Pipe Co., Washington, Pa.
Tyler (W, vS.; Co., Cleveland.
Underwood Typewriter Co., New York.
Union Draft Gear Co.. Chicago.
X-'nion Spring & Manufacturing Co., Pitts¬
burgh.
Union Steel Casting Co.. Pittsburgh.
Union Switch & Signal Co., Swissvale, Pa.
United States Light & Heating Co., New
York.
U. S. Metal & Mfg. Co., New York.
Walsh (P. T.), Davenport, losva.
Warner &; Swasey Co.. Cleveland.
Weir Frog Co.. Cincinnati.
Western Electric Co., New York.
Western Railway Equipment Co.. St. Louis.
Western Wheeled Scraper Co., Aurora, 111.
Westinghouse Air Brake Co.. Pittsburgh.
Westinghouse Church Kerr & Co.,New York.
Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., East
Pittsburgh.
White Enamel Refrigerator Co.. St. Paul.
WTiiting Fdy. Equipment Co., Harvey, Rl.
Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co., Akron. Ohio.
Winston Brothers Co., Minneapolis.
ENROLLED SINCE JAN. 1, 1916
Ra^l Joint Co.. New York.
Bigelow & Dowse (^o., Boston.
Milton Mfg. Co., Milton, Pa.
International Steam Pump Co., New York.
James Spear Stove & Heating Co., Philadel¬
phia.
Frank B. Stone, Chicago.
Greenfield Tap & Die Corp'n., Grccnfleld,
Mass.
Hires Turner Gla.ss Co., Philadelphia, Pa.
Consolidation Coal Co.. Baltimore.
Standard Varnish Works, Chicago.
Geo. I,aMonte & Son, Now York.
Shapleigh Hardware Co.. St. Louis.
Pratt & liambcrt, Inc., Buffalo.
Kirby Lumber Co., Houston. Texas.
Solvay Process Co.. Syracuse. N. Y.
Pollak Steel Co., Cincinnati, O.
Valentine & Co.. Now Y'ork.
Consolidated Coal Co. of St. T..ouis.
American Flexible Bolt Co., Pittsburgh.
Quaker City Rubber Co.. Philadelphia.
Tower Mfg. ^ Novelty Co., New York.
P'pson Nut Co., Cleveland.
Goocirich (B. F.j Co.. Akron, Ohio.
Imperial Appliance Co., Chicago.
IÎOSS Nut Co., Chicago.
,\mori(\an Malleable Castings Co., Marion,
Ohio.
American Bridge Company, Pittsburgh.
Comi)iiting Tabulating Recording Co., New
Y'ork.
Specification Brush Co., New York.
Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Orange, N. J.
Clark Witbeck Co.. Schenectady, N. Y.
OnMUiville Steel Car Co., Greenville, Pa.
Century Coal Co . of W. Va.. Baltimore, Md.
l")ahlstroin Metallic Door Co.. Jamestown,
.N.
Tunde Air Products Co., New York.
Union Carbide Sales Co., New Y''ork.
Gaidnor Governor Co.. Quincy, 111.
King T^ridrc Co., Cleveland.
Bethlehem Steel Co., South Bethlehem, Pa.
Lackawanna Bridge (^o.. Buffalo, N. Y.
Seneca Iron & Steel Co., Buffalo.
5
OFFICERS
Pr^ident
GEO. A. POST
V/. H. COTTINGHAM
W. B. LEACH
E. B. LEIGH
Vice-Presidents
HENRY ELLIOT
J. S. COFFIN
IRVING T. HARTZ
J. C. BRADLEY
Executive
S. p. BUSH
W. L, CLOW
SAMUEL M. CURWEN
0. II. CUTLER
F. T. HEFFELFINGER
II. H. HEWITT
J. M. HOPKINS
ALBA 1!. JOHNSON
A. M. KITTREDGE
ROBERT P. LAMONT
FRANK J. LANAHAN
W. II. MARSHALL
Members
STEPHEN C. MASON
A. H. MULLIKEN
RUDOLPIÍ ORTMANN
W. G. PEARCE
H. G. PROUT
S. F. PRYOR
W. W. SALMON
G. W. SIMMOlSIS
GEO. T. SMITH
JAMES S. STEVENSON
H. H. WESTINGHOUSE
W. W. WILLITS
Secretary
FRANK W. NOXON
Treasurer
M. S. CLAYTON
Executive Assistant
P. HARVEY MIDDLETON
REQUESTS FOR COPIES
of-this pamphlet will bç welcome from all
those desiring to place it in the hands of
their representatives or friends. Copies fur¬
nished or sent direct to lists upon applica¬
tion to Prank W. Noxon, Secretary Railway
Business Association, 30 Church Street, New
York.
Form B
6
Of
Form B 196 y-'ASl
NATIONAL WHOLESALE LUMBER DEALERS
ASSOCIATION
Resolution Adopted at Philadelphia, March i6,
1916, on the Subject oe Correcting Defects
in the System of Railway Re'gulation
WHEEEAS, improvements and extension of railways has been retarded,
with the result (1) that emergencies find the carriers unprepared to serve busi¬
ness; (2) that it is feared that occasion for national defense would disclose
serious shortcomings in transportation, and (3) that our railways are not ful¬
filling their accustomed pioneer function in the development of the country;
and
WHEEEAS, many aulhorities attribute this condition to defects in the
system of l'cgiilation of raihvays ; therefore be it
EESOLA'ED, That the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers Association
would welcome an inciuiry such as has been proposed in a joint resolution
adopted by the fseiiate and now pending in the House for a joint committee of
Hon gress to study this subject;
EESOLAdiD, That in our Judgment the people of many states are suffering
from the independent measures of regulation enforced by individual states, one
state confiicting with another, and that the time has come to obtain protection
for the people of every state and for the nation as a whole by unifying regula¬
tion of railway affairs which directly or indirectly affect interstate commerce ;
EESOLVED, That the authority, functions and organization of the Inter¬
state Commerce Commission should be brought into line with present needs by
relieving the Commission of whatever duties are incompatible with its principal
semi-judicial function, and by providing the Commission with auxiliaries com¬
petent to deal with specialized subjects and to keep in close touch with the
people of the several regions ;
EESOLVED, That Congress should adopt an explicit statutory imle for
guidance of the Interstate Commerce Commission to the effect that to be held
just and reasonable the whole fabric of rates in any region must be such that
the average road on the average for a period of years has sufficient earnings to
attract in competition with other corporations new capital for additions and
betterments adequate for the needs and growth of the country.