Show FEDERAL CONTROL O Of THE RAILWAY A RATES IMPOSSmlf Commissioner of Minnesota In Report to National Association of the Railway Rail-way Commissioners Declares Such a Move Would bo Unconstitutional Washington When limo annual convention con-vention of the National Association of Hallway Commissioners convened on Friday for its final session the special committee on safety appliances recommended rec-ommended congressional legislation to compel railroads both steam and electric elec-tric to protect their tracks by nn automatic signal system and urged tho several state legislatures to enact laws along this line Charles F Staples commissioner of Minnesota presented the report on Kates and Halo Making The report said The cases arc rare where a railroad of any importance Is not nn Interstate road This may bo aiwied as reason for entire federal control something we bellevo to bo Impossible without amending tho constitution con-stitution This we do believe the states will concede until It Is demonstrated demon-strated that it Is more practical than experience has yet shown it to bo There have been many rate reductions reduc-tions In different states followed by reductions on interstate trafllc and so far as we know these have nil been brought about by the affirmative action ac-tion of the state authorities So far as we are advised we know of no general gen-eral reduction due to any action by the federal authorities We bellevo the best Interests of the people would not bo served by placing tho entire responsibility of rate control on tho federal government We believe there should bo a much closer relationship between the federal and state authorities author-ities than seems to exist at present that in many matters a state commission commis-sion shouid net as agnt for the interstate inter-state commerce commission to time advantage ad-vantage of both |