Resolved, That the board of government of the Quincy Freight Bureau, of Quincy, Ill., is unalterably opposed to the adoption of said House bill 8157, in and of itself, and to the proposition to place the railroads in this country under the ownership or management of the Government or of any board or other agency as proposed in said bill; also to the underlying and concrete principle involved which will lead to the domination of all branches of business by self-appointed employees, or by any other means take from rightful owners the control and direction of their property for the public use or personal gain of special classes at the expense of all the people, establish the principle of Bolshevism in America, destroy individual initiative in business, overturn the long-established methods upon which industries have been founded and developed, and thus bring disaster to this country in all forms incident to such unwise propoals. Resolved, That we respectfully protest to the Congress against this bill and request our Senators and Representatives therein to use all honorable means to accomplish the defeat of any and all legislation of the class or character proposed in it. We believe Congress should make a stand for all of the people and emphatically disapprove and condemn the attempt of any class to impose selfish aims or un-American ideas upon the people at the cost of all they hold dear in their rights and liberties, and to this end we invite the cooperation of our Senators and Representatives in Congress. RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE CONNECTICUT FOUNDRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. SEPTEMBER 12, 1919. COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. GENTLEMEN: At a recent meeting of the board of managers of the Connecticut Foundrymen's Association the following resolution was unanimously adopted, and at the meeting of the Connecticut Foundrymen's Association on the same day this resolution was indorsed by a unanimous vote. We are pleased to forward this to you for your consideration: Resolved, That the board of managers of the Connecticut Foundrymen's Association recommend to our Representatives in Congress to do all in their power to enact legislation in connection with the return of the railroad properies to private ownership, which will make strikes on all public utilities unlawful. We believe that the only solution of the great difficulties with which we are confronted to-day in the industrial world lies in curbing the activities of the American Federation of Labor in their lawless campaign to force their arbitrary rulings on the American public. We also believe that if the railroads are to be controlled or supervised by a commission or by Government officials, that it would be no more than fair that the conditions of labor should also be compulsory. The public utilities of the Nation are so closely related to the people that these periodical holdups in transportation are doing more to increase the cost of living than all other causes put together, but, for some reason, no one has the foresight or courage to face the real issue. It is our opinion that the lessening of industrial difficulties would be materially aided by such legislation, also that the proper time for its encatment would be when the railroad legislation is adopted. There certainly would be no use in returning the roads to their original owners without some guaranty of their ability to operate them, and we are convinced that, immediately upon such return, the railroad labor organizations would proceed to further unreasonable demands on top of what they have already demanded. There surely must be some time and place to stop this dictatorial method of depriving the people of this Nation of their constitutional right to conduct their business and earn an honest living. One thing is certain, and that is, the manufacturing industries of this country can never become steady and normal until all transportation facilities are restored to a normal basis, and this can not be done unless laws are made governing the organizations that are in control of the public utilities of the Nation. Yours, very truly, CONNECTICUT FOUNDRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION, C. S. NEUMANN, Secretary. RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MARBLE DEALERS. CLEVELAND, OHIO, September 18, 1919. CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE COMMERCE, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SIR: Permit me to convey to you the resolution as adopted by this organization in connection with railroad legislation now pending before Congress: Resolved, That the National Association of Marble Dealers, by its board of directors, wishes to ratify the program of railroad legislation adopted by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. That we further wish as a body and through our individual members to assist as far as possible in furthering this program and in opposing Government ownership of the railroads and espe cially as outlined in the Plumb plan. Respectfully, VICTOR MOSEL, Secretary. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS OF LOS ANGELES. Hon. JOHN J. ESCH, SEPTEMBER 27, 1919. Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Inclosed herewith you will find six copies of resolu tions passed by the board of directors of the Association of Business Organizations of Los Angeles, at meeting held September 3, 1919. This relates to legislation relative to control of railroads, and specifically requests that because of the entirely different operating and other conditions the electric railways be eliminated from legislation affecting steam railroads. The Association of Business Organizations of Los Angeles is a central organization representing 22 principal commercial organizations named in the attached resolutions of business organizations. Yours, truly, ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS OF LOS ANGELES. By GERALD FITZGERALD, Secretary. (The resolutions referred to are as follows:) Whereas under the railroad-control act of the United States whereby the Gor ernment is operating the steam railroad lines, all interurban and street railway systems deriving the major part of their revenue from passenger traffic, were excluded for good and sufficient reasons and as conclusively indicated by overwhelming vote in both Houses of Congress; and Whereas certain bills now introduced in Congress relating to the return of steam railroads to private operation or in modified form of Government operation are attempting to legislate for all railroads doing an interstate business, including interurban and street railroads; and Whereas these interurban and street railway companies must depend upon revenues earned from local communities served, their operations are very different from those of the steam lines; they are subject to certain limitations under franchises and the competition of motor vehicles of all kinds as to their rates of fare and freight rates; and Whereas among the provisions introduced in the bill at Washington are those looking toward the establishment of boards of wage and adjustment for all interstate carriers, such boards to have one-half representation of steamline employees, with result that unquestionably strong and constant effort will be made to place upon the interurban and street railways the burden of the same conditions as to wages and working conditions as applied on the steam railroads, with the result that onerous burdens, possibly beyond the ability of the communities and companies to bear, will be placed upon the interurban street railways; and Whereas the President has appointed a commission to investigate and determine entirely independent of any steam railroad operation the present deplorable condition of the electric railways of the United States, which commission is now holding hearings and will present its recommendations after the conclusion thereof: Therefore be it Resolved by this association, That it request the Congress of the United States to eliminate altogether from any legislation relating to the future control and operation of the steam lines the interurban and street car systems other provisions than those which may affect them incidentally with reference to interstate freight rates and passenger fares to the extent that they are engaged in interstate commerce; and that copies of this resolution be sent to the Senators from the State of California, to the Members of the House of Representatives from California, and to the Hon. Albert B. Cummins, United States Senator from Iowa, and that acknowledgment of this resoltuion be asked. Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Realty Board, Merchants and Manufacturers' Association, Commercial Federation of California, Founders and Employers' Association, Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Produce Exchange of Los Angeles, Advertising Club of Los Angeles, Southern California Laundry Owners' Association, Southern California Hotel Men's Association, Southern California Wholesale Grocers' Association, Los Angeles Clearing House, Wholesale Metal Dealers' Association, Wholesale Dry Goods Association of Los Angeles, Retail Dry Goods Merchants' Association, Wholesalers' Board of Trade, Los Angeles Grain Exchange, Motor Car Dealers' Association, Building Owners' Association of Los Angeles, Southern California Seed Trade Association, Building Industries Association. Above organizations comprising the Association of Business Organizations of Los Angeles. GERALD FITZGERALD, Secretary. RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UNION PACIFIC Hon. JOHN J. ESCH, SYSTEM. NEW YORK, October 8, 1919. Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. ESCH: In view of the questions asked when I had the honor of appearing before your committee as to whether the board of directors of the Union Pacific had ever considered the plan submitted by the committee of railway executives, and especially in view of the intimations of Mr. Warfield when he was before your committee about the authority of the railway executives with respect to pending legislation, I beg to hand you certified copy of a resolution adopted by the board of directors of the Union Pacific Railroad Co. on September 11, 1919. Sincerely, yours, R. S. LOVETT, President. The resolutions referred to are as follows: The president called attention to the facts that both as president of the company and as a member of the standing committee of the Association of Railroad Executives he has advocated and supported before the committees of Congress the plan recommended by said committee of executives for remedial railroad legislation by Congress and has opposed various proposals for such legislation, particularly the proposal, in whatever form advanced, which has been incorporated in Senate bill 2906, to confiscate the net earnings of any railroad company in excess of some stipulated rate of return, and that his views on the subject have been from time to time reported to and discussed with the board and were formulated in the pamphlet written by him and published and distributed in July last. He expressed the understanding and belief that his position and action have the full concurrence and authority of the directors, but that such approval was apparently questioned by Mr. S. Davies Warfield, recently before the Committee on Interstate Commerce of the House of Representatives. Thereupon, upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimouslyResolved, That the directors of the Union Pacific Railroad Co. concur in and approve the principles advocated by President Lovett in respect of remedial railroad legislation by Congress as set forth in said pamphlet and authorize him to continue to support the plan for such legislation recommended by the standing committee of the Association of Railway Executives; and Resolved, That the directors of this company are emphatically opposed to the proposal contained in Senate bill 2906 for the confiscation of so much of the net earnings of any railroad company as shall, in the judgment of the Interstate Commerce Commission, exceed a fair return on the property of such company, and believe that such a legislative provision not only would be confiscatory of the property rights of the stockholders, but also would further and seriously impair the confidence of investors in railroad securities and greatly increase the difficulty of financing requisite additions and betterments of the principal railroad carriers of the country. I, Thomas Price, secretary of the Union Pacific Railroad Co., do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true copy of resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors of the Union Pacific Railroad Co. at a regular meeting of said board of directors, held at the principal office of the company, in the city and State of New York, on the 11th day of September, 1919, at which a quorum was present. In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said company this 8th day of October, 1919. [SEAL.] THOMAS PRICE, Secretary. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. NEW YORK, October 9, 1919. Hon. JOHN J. ESCH, Chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SIR: I beg to inclose herein copy of a report and re lution protesting against placing the barge canal under the Interstate Commerce Commission, which was unanimously adopted by the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York at its regular monthly meeting held this day. Respectfully, yours, CHAS. T. GWYNNE, The report and resolution referred to are as follows: At the regular monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, held October 9, 1919, the following report and resolutions, submitted by the committee on internal trade and improvements, were unanimously adopted: REPORT AND RESOLUTION AGAINST PLACING BARGE CANAL UNDER INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. To the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York: The name of the New York chamber has been linked with the Erie Canal from its earliest history, and this committee and the chamber advocated the new barge canal, and has very recently been urging its full completion and development. Your committee on internal trade and improvements accordingly has viewed with great concern that portion of a bill (H. R. 4378) now in Congress making certain amendments to the act to regulate commerce, among which are provisions placing transportation upon inland waterways under the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The amendments before Congress give the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to regulate and control port-to-port interstate water rates; to prescribe minimum rates; to compel water carriers to publish their rates in tariff form and file such tariffs with the commission, and to keep their accounts and records according to forms prescribed by the commission; and to establish purely interstate rates when the relationship of the interstate and intrastate rates is at issue. Your committee believes that the vesting of this power in the Interstate Commerce Commission would place in great jeopardy the rehabilitation of commerce on our new barge canal. The citizens of New York who voted for an expenditure of $154,000,000 for the construction of this canal had in mind the complete independence of this waterway in the matter of rates for transportation. By placing the determination of rates in the same body that fixes the rates for railways, the competitive power of the canal would tend toward extinction, and might even result in its disuse. It is not considered possible at the present stage of the development of traffic on the canal to determine what is a fair minimum rate. Should a rate be fixed too low, the business of the canal would never have opportunity to develop, for the carrier could not exist at rates which did not pay a profit. Should rates be fixed too high, the business would be lost. Price fixing of any kind is dangerous, and it will be a serious blow to the usefulness of the new barge canal and the welfare of this State if at the start business is not allowed to proceed along free, economic channels. Furthermore, the complicated bookkeeping and reporting, tariff filing, and records required by the Interstate Commerce Commission would drive out of business the many small operators of boats which now furnish the bulk of the canal tonnage. Only very large transportation companies with a comprehensive staff could meet the commission's requirements. There is a great number of individuals or small company operators who, doubtless, would be driven from the canal if placed under the jurisdiction of the commission. Many economic writers and important business interests have long recognized that the great industrial development in this State owes much to New York's great expenditure upon inland waterways. The barge canal and its predecessor was built and is owned by the State of New York. This is a great public development and not a private-capital enterprise. Jurisdiction over its business should not be given to an authority outside this State. Control by the Interstate Commerce Commission would be incompatible with the State's interest. Your committee therefore offers the following resolution: Resolved, That the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York is opposed to those amendments in bill H. R. 4378 (amending the act to regulate commerce) which would give the Interstate Commerce Commission authority over the new barge canal of the State of New York; and be it further |