RAILROADS

Criticism of the railroad law has been directed, first, to the section laying down the rule by which rates are fixed, and providing for payment to the Government and use of excess earnings; second, to the method for the adjustment of wage scales; and third, to the authority permitting consolidations.

It has been erroneously assumed that the act undertakes to guarantee railroad earnings.  The law requires that rates should be just and reasonable.  That has always been the rule under which rates have been fixed.  To make a rate that does not yield a fair return results in confiscation, and confiscatory rates are of course unconstitutional.  Unless the Government adheres to the rule of making a rate that will yield a fair return, it must abandon rate making altogether.  The new and important feature of that part of the law is the recapture and redistribution of excess rates.  The constitutionality of this method is now before the Supreme Court for adjudication.  Their decision should be awaited before attempting further legislation on this subject.  Furthermore, the importance of this feature will not be great if consolidation goes into effect.

The settlement of railroad labor disputes is a matter of grave public concern.  The Labor Board was established to protect the public in the enjoyment of continuous service by attempting to insure justice between the companies and their employees.  It has been a great help, but is not altogether satisfactory to the public, the employees, or the companies.  If a substantial agreement can be reached among the groups interested, there should be no hesitation in enacting such agreement into law.  If it is not reached, the Labor Board may very well be left for the present to protect the public welfare.

The law for consolidations is not sufficiently effective to be expeditious.  Additional legislation is needed giving authority for voluntary consolidations, both regional and route, and providing Government machinery to aid and stimulate such action, always subject to the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission.  This should authorize the commission to appoint committees for each proposed group, representing the public and the component roads, with power to negotiate with individual security holders for an exchange of their securities for those of the, consolidation on such terms and conditions as the commission may prescribe for avoiding any confiscation and preserving fair values.  Should this permissive consolidation prove ineffective after a limited period, the authority of the Government will have to be directly invoked.

Consolidation appears to be the only feasible method for the maintenance of an adequate system of transportation with an opportunity so to adjust freight rates as to meet such temporary conditions as now prevail in some agricultural sections.  Competent authorities agree that an entire reorganization of the rate structure for freight is necessary.  This should be ordered at once by the Congress.