Show Failure of Regulation and Government Ownership P PARTIS M ARTIX ARTIS A A. A KNAPP presiding judge of the tho United States court of commerce made an address s l rc recently in dew Ne York which has attracted cd a great grent deal enl of attention rh While le the the su suggestion that tl the failure of the government through present present present pres pres- ent or subsequent le legislation to effect such regulation regulation regulation regu regu- lation of the railroads as ns will insure a square deal for the people means government o ownership in inthe inthe in inthe the not far distant future has been made frequently frequent frequent- 1 ly by bv writers and speakers yet such sucu a prediction from 1 Judge ld e hula deserves more moro thun than passing consideration For years cars he lie has been an on earnest student of transportation matters fully equipping himself for lh the high duties dutie which he was called upon to perform as us member of the interstate commerce commerce com com- merce commission and later as a member of the court of commerce Judge Knapp feels feel no doubt of the power of Congress to re regulate the railroads he lie believes belie that Congress can cnn go o to an any length it desires short of actual confiscation of property to enforce its de de- mands s. s He Ife has been one of the most nt conservative of the modern exponents of railroad rate regulation regulation regula regula- tion so fair and just has been his attitude that he was one of the men first firt selected by h the President for a place on the bench of the new court His faith fuith in the power granted by the thc national constitution constitution constitution to Con Congress for railroad regulation is so great that he feels feel the time tim will soon come when Con Congress ress will grapple with the problem determined to put an end to all theories There here can be no question that the struggle to bring the great reat transportation s systems stems under the power ver of th the government o is still in its infancy Con Congress ress is dealing with the problem in a tentative 1 and less energetic way than arc the l legislatures isla tures of many of the states No sooner i is a n basis for adjustment adjustment ad ad- reached than a court decision puts the solution still further away alas no sooner do the lawmakers lawmakers law law- makers consider that they have ha the question settled set set- tied than the courts find that the power granted g has las exceeded what they thc believe to be the constitutional constitutional constitutional limit and the thc work is left to be he lone done again ag So lacking is the faith of the tIle people in th the tho conduct con con- duct luct of business b by such agencies as os can he be reached by jy political influence that it will be many yea years before the idea of government ownership hip of railroads railroads rail roil roads receives any mr measure of popular support W William J. J Bryan Pryan learned his lesson in that regard when he returned from his triumphal tour of Europe Europe Eu- Eu rope some years ago and advocated government o ownership of railroads in ill hi his famous Madison oll Square Garden speech The great business busine inter inter- e ts of the counts country were almost t willing to accept Mr r. r Br Bryan oan but hi his speech set u up I p the lie ho bogey e of soI so socialism so- so in their mind min nr Bryan an recanted in a short time but without effect The Thc peerless leader ha had inquired into the success success suc suc- cess of European railroads un under cr government go control control control con con- and found much to admire lie ITe became imbued imbued im- im with the idea that public ownership o might be lC bethe hethe the solution of tf the American problem Had he waited fifty years ho he might have been hailed a as a 11 now new prophet But the people were not really for forthe the tho idea then nor are arc th they thov ready now Conditions have vastly improved Wonderful r pro progress re has been made in the past decade pro progress that gives ive one basis for hope hone that matters at issue between the people and th the tho railroads will 1 bo be amicably adjusted adjusted adjusted ad ad- with a n square deal for each arm of the con controversy t rovers LI al |