New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-14

tiOnal since new roads and extensions must
take time to build up their business. Still.
railway Investments were not on the whole
unavoidable i'm Massachusetts,, the dividends
on stock being ten per cent in eight instances,
and altogether averaging about six and third
per cent The lesson that is taught 10 invest
ors in railway securities is principally Us to
the danger of having all their eggs
in one basket, for a there were thirty
two roads that paid no dividends; but how far
this lesson was needed by she $1,000 stock
holders, we are not informed. 1t cost 81 a6
per train per mile to Operate" the roads
For every passenger carried IL tons of rolling
stock were moved, and for each ton OF freight,
90 of rolling stock II looks as if there were
room for great economy in our system or
travel, where thirty times his weight must be
transported with him to carry each passen-
ger; and the figures scarcely seem credible.
In fact. the Commissioners themselves hint
that the substantial accuracy Of these averages
is open to doubt. f..
The most encouraging feature OF this sum-
mary of years railroad experience IL the
remarkable immunity from accidents which ID
recorded; only one passenger having been
seriously injured and none killed during the
year, out of 4s,39S.OOO. The ordinary average
of casualties per year has been one to 100000
passengers The chief cause of the difference
between this and former years is doubtless TO
be found in tho circumstance that great i'm
prOvements have been made on nearly all the
roads, both as to tho general character
of their equipment aud r0lling-stock, and In
the adoption of recently invented safeguards.
The Companies have learned that these pre-
cautions, in the long run, save money. Previ-
ous to the Revere disaster, In August, 1911,
tho train-brake was in use on only one rail-
road in Massachusetts, now 1t Is applied 10
considerably more than half the passenger cara.
A great destruction Of life was doubtless avoided
In an accident last October near Brlmleid'
on tho Boston and Albany road, simply by the
efficient working of three appliances OF safety
the TYLER safety switch. the Westinghouse
airbrake, and the Miller platform-and though
several of the trucks were thrown out from under
the cars, there was no "telescOplng," ana tho
passengers escaped with slight bruises In reia
ton to the number of accidents to railroad
employes-more than hundred having been IN
iured or killed. circumstance IL menuonea
which illustrates the fact that this class OF men
are somewhat foohardy. An act OF the Legisia-
ture required the roads to place guards IN
front of all overhead bridges, within sightaen
feet of the track. The brakemen were lrrl-
tated by receiving raps from these guards AZ
they approached the bridges; they preferred
the risk of being struck and killed to the GER
tainty of being raped and warned. In nu-
merous instances the brakemen have removed
the guards, and the Commissioners suggest
that the removal be made q crime. The ques-
ton forcbly suggests itself, How can we
expect these men to be careful of passengers
lives when they are so careless of their own
Some light is thrown upon the great ques-
tons of railroad management and monopoly.
A pressure brought TO bear upon the Eastern
Railroad induced the experiment OF cheap
trains for wOrkingmen. Its success was far
beyond anticipation, the travel by these trains
being increased nearly fourfOld without per-
ceptbly diminishing that by the other trains.
AS yet, however, the profit to the railroad
upon this form Of travel is not considerable
but the experiment is still in its infancy. The
Commissioners regard Illinois legislation IN
reference to controlling the freight charges of
railroads as having little interest for Massa-
chusetts, where with a single exception, all
the railroad charters are subject to alteration,
amendment, or repeal. They consider the
Illinois procedures as of doubtful expediency.
The project they most favor Is the competition
of some railroads under State management
with the rest in private bands. They made
series of investigations. during last Summer.
as to the working Of such competition in
Europe. and the ascertained facts confirm
their opinion of its good effects. We have no
words but OF praise for the work which has
been done by tho Commissioners. Messrs.
Charles +. Adams, jr., A. ID. Briggs, and
Francis NJ. Johnson; the value OF this class
of statistics, aud of the suggestions and legis-
laton that are their outgrowth, has been
already abundantly illustrated; the great fact
that not one passengers life was lost last year
on Massachusetts railways, is in large measure
a consequences of the preceding efforts OF her
Railroad Commission.