Cummins on Cummins

While the Esch-Cummins Railroad Law is being flayed by the radicals, who want lower freight rates by any means obtainable, one of the godfathers of the law, Senator Albert Baird Cummins, of Iowa, is not silent on the railroad problem. It goes without saying, that his view of the railroads is entirely unlike that of his running mate, Smith Wildman Brookhart.

Besides being Chairman of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee, Senator Cummins has had practical experience in railroading. At one time, before becoming a lawyer and entering politics, he was Assistant Chief Engineer of the Cincinnati, Richmond and Fort Wayne Railroad.

He has written a series of articles appearing in several papers on the railroad question. " I am suggesting," said he, doubtless thinking of the critics of the present railroad law, "that the solution of the problem will require something more than fierce denunciation or harsh criticisms."

He reached these conclusions:

1) That the railroad problem is not one involving the larger roads, but one of saving the smaller roads. He quoted for three-quarters of a newspaper column a list of shorter roads-- mostly less than 1,000 miles in length -- which were entirely unable to make ends meet in 1922.

2) That it is unlikely that either labor or material costs will go down -- and that the railroads themselves have no control of these factors.

3) That, therefore, if railroad efficiency is to be obtained so that rates can be lowered, it must be by savings obtained through consolidated management.

4) That consolidation should be carried out until there are but 15 or 25 roads in the entire country.

5) That such consolidation is practical.

6) That the railroads will not carry it out unless forced to by law.

7) That consolidation will result in better service to the public if carried out in such a way as to make the new systems compete with one another in service.