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Show PL1 ME STATUTES 01 RAILREGUUT1DH Bill Proposes Increase of Two Members for Commerce Com-merce Commission. WASHINGTON, Dec. 5. Further railroad rail-road legislation, suggested by President Wilson at the time of the enactment of the Adamson law, will be taken up Friday Fri-day by the senate commerce committee. Chairman Newlands said today. Measures before the committee Include: A bill to enlarge the membership of the interstate commerce commission from seven to nine and empower it to sit with full authority in groups; a bill similar to the Canadian diputes act to forbid strikes or lockouts on interstate railroads pendinc efforts by the federal hoard of mediation and conciliation to settle differences, and a bill which would give tho president power to operate railroads for military purposes when their functions are suspended sus-pended or hindered. j Measures affecting interstate commerce were introduced today by .Senators Un- i derwood and Townsend, but they probably prob-ably will not be considered by the committee com-mittee this week. Senator Underwood's bill proposes to give the interstate com- merce commission power to fix wages and hours of labor of Interstate railroad employees em-ployees and authority to act In such matters mat-ters on its own Initiative or on application applica-tion of the public, the employees or the railroads. Senator Townsend 's measure would authorize investigation of railroad controversies, contro-versies, Including matters of wages, hours and conditions of employment, by a presidential presi-dential commission. If the senate rommitlee determines to favor these measures, it may influence the investigation of general transportation transporta-tion problems now under way by a ,1oint congressional committee. This Investigation, Investiga-tion, members pay, cannot be well concluded con-cluded for a year, and an effort may he made to concentrate now on bills already before concress and postpone investlca-tion investlca-tion of questions of government ownership or more exclusive federal control until after adjournment next March. |