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Show I STREET RAILWAYS. Commenting on the unanimous report made to President Wilson Wil-son by the federal electric railway commission, Bradst root's says the commission recommends extensive reforms in electric railway management and operation with a view to n-storinp public confi-dence confi-dence in the properties and creating for the latter urgently needed credit The commission 1ms been investigating electric railway conditions con-ditions throughout the country for more than a year, has held many hearings and has examined hundreds of reports and replies to questionnaires. ques-tionnaires. One of the main features of t ho report is the recommendation, recommen-dation, that a service-a.t-cost plan of operation be installed on all systems. This plan, which is already in operation in a number of ' cities, provides for transportation at actual cost and safeguards investors in-vestors by guaranteeing a t ixl return upon an agreed valuation of their holdings. The commission strongly emphasizes the need of co-operation between the public, the managements and the employes, and very plainly outlines the respective duties of earh. Managers of electric railway properties are told that their primary pri-mary duty is to serve the public with tin- greatest efficiency at the lowest cost, and that the industry should not be used to obtain profits prof-its beyond what may be necessary for upkeep, to pay a fair return on the agreed alue of the property and to secure the investment of additional funds as required. It is declared to be the duly of the public to supervise and control con-trol electric railways so as to safeguard the public interest and assure as-sure such a return upon h fair valuation as may he agreed upon in contracts between cities and companies n such supervision, the report Bays, the public's future attitude should be one of friendliness and co-operation. Employes, the commission contends, should have j I a living vage, humane hours ot labor and working conditions and the right to deal collectively with employers through committees or representatives of their own selection, but "all labor disputes should j be settled voluntarily or by arbitration, and the award of a board i of arbitration should be final and binding on both parties. It is in- tolerable," tl 'report adds, "that the transportation service of a city should be subject to occassional paralysis, whether by strike or lock-" lock-" .outs." |