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Show ' ELECTRIC ROADS 1 COMMISSION HAS I LIVELY SESSION !-'' WASHINGTON, July 24 Eutonr N. i-ij: Foss, former governor of Massachusetts, Massachu-setts, advocating government ownership owner-ship of all public utilities, and James I Quaekenbuph, counsel for the Inter -' : borough Rapid Transit company of Hi I New York, who declared Mr. Foss' proposals were "stuff and nonsense," gave the federal electric railways commission com-mission today the liveliest session since It started its investigation of the condition of street railways In this country. "Private ownership hns fallen down." MM Ir. Foss asserted. There is left only public ownership with private opera-ion opera-ion or public ownerbhip and operation." opera-tion." "Put a stop to this cheap talk, to 'his 'old stuff.'' retorted Mr. Quack-nbush. Quack-nbush. "The thing to do Is not to alk bunkum but to recognize facts i Unless we can gel an increase in fare I between now and January ii means: i receiver for the Interborough. It fou are going to do something, get! ausy." A letter from Thomas A. Edison was I L'Jj read, in which he said. "The iron-clad contiacts betwren the roads and cities made In cheering lays under normal conditions have no 111 ii protective clauses against the greatest change that has taken place in centuries, cen-turies, due to the world war. Thi municipalities can exact their pound , of flesh if they so desire, with tho ultimate ulti-mate bankruptcy of these orcanlza-. orcanlza-. i lions, but the spirit that is now abroad in the world is against this. We are' all trying to play fair. If suffer we! must, let us all suffer allko. If pros- j perlty comes all should participate in i like manner." Fo8 Forecasts Public Ownership Mr. Foss expressed a belief that the! lectric lines in his state would be, well on the way to public ownership; oefore "snow flies " Recent faro in-rcases in-rcases to ten cents in Boston were aot popular, he said, resulting In a loss! nt twentj-five per cent in traffic and M.000 a day in revenue. JkI1! Control of the railroads by the gov ?rnment during the war was said not lo be a fair test of government ovner- yfjjj ship by Mr, Foss who ascribed the jxisting deficit to war conditions, de -pite the "campaign of banker owners sf the railroads" to make it appear hat government control was repon-?ible. repon-?ible. Asked about increases In operating :osts, Mr. Foss declared the railways lad "grafted and stolen so" thai no commission had the courage to tell the Miblic what ought to be done and that ates should go up not twenty -five per cent but fifty per cent He said t might be necessary in some ?ases to irant fare increases to tide over lines antil the roads could be acquired by municipalities. |