OCR Text |
Show should play an active and aggressive part in harmonizing the working practices of neighboring--and distant-states. They represent the major opportunity for the states to reassert themselves as major political units of the American governmental system. Future Uses for Interstate Compacts Prom the foregoing we have seen how states have developed compaots as a means of amicably adjusting their problems. Compacts have been resorted "bo principally for the settlement of boundary disputes, erection of bridges, conservation of natural resources, regulation of navigation in adjoining wafers, service of process in penal causes, and, within the last year, the unification of labor standards. The possibilities are unlimited* Compacts may be used to regulate interstate transportation. A controversy, for example, which has been going on for Some time between Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the regulation of motor vehicles, could undoubtedly be ironed out to the satisfaction of both • states by an interstate compact <• Some years ago, Vermont and New Hampshire made provision for a joint state penitentiary to serve both states? If this can be done it would seem feasible that two or more states oould join together for the.purpose of con- solidating their educational systems, including their state universities, ^C the underlying advantage being economy and the raising of educational stand- ards* Interstate public health regulation, standardization of commodities, taxes such as gasoline, liquor, corporation, income, and inheritance levies, relief, public works, social security, improvement of educational facilities, regulation of air traffic,motor truck regulation, insurance, exchange system of supervising persons on parole, taxation of mail order houses, uniform divorce, unemployment insurance, drought and flood control, eradication of " pests, child labor, establishment of standards of safety in certain industries, establishment of regional health and sanitation authorities in contiguous states, irrigation, timber, game, public welfare and many other purely inter- state and sectional Questions could be adjusted by the use of compacts in- suring mutual interstate accord ooupled with federal acquiescence in accordance with the Constitution. The recent Guffey Coal Act decision raises an interesting question.. Sinoe the Federal Government may not regulate the production and control of* bituminous coal, and, if it is true that the facilities of the states are in- adequate to cope with the problems arising therefrom at the point of pro- duction, then if the alleged evils of this situation require any form of govern- ment regulation, would it not be possible to solve these problems through r.egional compact agreements? Whether or not this is a logical adaptation of compacts to a confused and baffling situation could be answered only after & . study of these problems* |