, 1874-12-10
Report Of the Illinois State
Board Of Commissioners.
Number and Condition OF tho Suits
Brought Under tho New Law,
A Large Decrease In tho Number Of
Complaints Against Railroads.
Many improvements Noted In tic
Inspection Of Grnln.

General Conclusions as to tho WORKING
Of tho Law.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Doc. 0,-Tho following Il
an apstfhct Of thn annual report Of tho Stat
Aal'rond and Warehouse Commissioners:
"a submitting thor report tho Commissioner!
a1"so .has tnor experience Of the practical worl,
.ne o. tno proHont syBtom OF State inspection 1t
lnld o1ate leads them to consilor 1t tho host nj
Pi'Sens pract1cou. Since tho dato of tho las
aul'ofs tno fatos Ind boon gradually reduced
uno pof'osnanoo OF their dutioB by 1napocto,
t'atrof anu AoEis1or Tyndafo had bonn ont.
hcns,y satisfactory. Tho report roviowcd the
condition OF tAo various prosecutiona ago,,,.,
waroslousemen In Chicago showing tho os.
auranco OF tho Stato's Attorney TINT TIM IN so,
would DO tried on tho 1Ath Of tho present month,
and that ho would prosecute tho casoH rs rapidl :
III possible Ina
REVIEW OF THE aulTs ron EXronT1oy
instituted aga1nHe railroad corporations The Com.
missioners sot forth III compaot form tia ynr;ons
| loyal qnebtions which hayo arison, and whicl,
have alroady bocn mado public, and, spoakiug Of
thoncccssary longh Of timo which must olapao i,,
the deci1ion of so woighty quostionH aux tue
generous public to bcar In mind that thoy ca,,-
not movo fastos IN any way. looking to their ro-
lief to tho courts to whom Ia rightfully coujI]od
tho final adjustment Of their differences, Tho
Commtaslonors then Bhow tho presout cou,li-
ton Of tho casoH in point to be as fol.
Lows: In tue case Of TLo pooplo
osc., rs. Tho Chicago 4 Northwestern
Railroad Company after several delays tho case
was continued by agroemcnt with Wow of
awaiting dociaon Of tho Supreme Court of tho
United States, III which woro involved question:
bearing OH tho case.
In tho caHo Of The People against Tho Illinois
Central Raslroad Company d prmcipe WINS filed,
anu before any othor steps wore taken tho suit
was dismissed, tho Commissioners proforriug to
institute sulss against this Company aftor tl1o
clalho III tho law milking tho schedules prepared
bS them primn faco evidence, otc., had taken
oncct.
THE FOLLOWING SUITS
Toro brought by tho Commissioners nftor fin
n aw nn p11paLsa r by d,d them bud thor full foeo
Sult against tho Chicago Burlington i
Quincy Ioatl was commenced in MarcG, 1s7I.
IN tho Bureau County Circuit Court, and iu1r-
NJ mont was obtained for tho people for 4l,000,
=. dnla m easo "as appealed to tho Supreme Court
at OTTAWA, second suit against tic Same Cum
n,y nany y was instituted i'll tho McDorough County
Circuit Court, whore similar verdict wag ob-
talncd and appealed from to tho Supreme Court.
where s1s = y pcndlns for hoarng at tho January
On tho 9Th Of February 1874. suit WINS iustl
tateu III tho SanGamon County Circuit Court
against tho Chicago & Alton Railroad Company.
saa a. o Judgment obtained against defendants for
oosv * s. ana cosss, from wh!cl they appealed to
unttod statos Circuit Court worry full
ToS tHa wore submitted ny tho counael
~. ~ 1ue toapectlve parties to tho full
eeo.lclf, consisting q Judges David Davis, Of tho
10upt ond q r tno United statea md Judges
vr; ttutea u the sangamon Circuit Court by
r. eoi tsoinIl commanding tho trAuafor of.tho
VIII t, s. tao ta.o 70 tne federal Court which
Iec;sin otato ~ ~, G9nIt 1a@ aeclinod to obey Tho
writ. anI dia,n.and H. 7aasaa @ Gonre quasnod tno
,iora1. ~. u4stnssoa tno proceculhGa, from which
Sunro,,,n .ooA IN appeal to tue United Statos
;nv -" H. oottt' nueAo tuu question IL NOW pcnu-
t1,e aa,.,s ~ u tue next torn. Thus comes
t,yo cnurtu y u =. Inc sanle caao pending i'll tho
WV ~oai u ~ tlie aatno tsno.
oro SEVERAL oTilrn CASES
J., H., aIssraneta, au IN reviewing them gonoral-
E,sau snu commissioners state that a the suits
gr;cva,caa thot ~. ia e,"seer o. complaints or
Cost caejatni IN tsas tp 70 10 At Tue tine
ato%s w. ~ % ay loi lnslstod on by tho corpor
"'t'ao IT, a. ~ ustok uuteilano.
cot ~ @ %1tn tho seventh section Of tho
t,o ro2, ,nuy ioo, wien makes IT tho duty Of
ong o,,1 1onassaohols "to poEaonally investigate
n1iu ahccItaln whether tho provisions Of this net
G. s1osgu oy alY 1allroaa corporation in this
i,''o " au ~ x.st tne various stations on tue
.llao o. oaoh railroad tor that prpoao as oftou liz
~ r,actacao1e' tho commissioners visited tho
,s,,,c,. H.. POT only at the points at |
othsr mlen hu.s haa oeon instituted, but also many
unal s'ol'th on TUG aoYora! limos Of roads a,ll
men branches ,aG@'i'st which BstitB have boon
commenced. Iho result Of these Investigations
''as neen tlo discovery or gratifying
DEchEasE IN THE NUMBER or coMrLA1STg
=! ,lmc'yl'lty to Which shippers and tho travelling
!!nplo 1a'o booh subjected by tho employees or |
lile ~ toads OF to stato. There woro oxtcnlatng
lor tlio occurrence Of inciyilties
tonlhont among which was tho distant removal
~ , slipn1f'!tondng eahH from Observation-Disclosures,
!llL htit " seemed possbo tiiat still groator
might Do obtained. md ao.ao lnea,,A
ioslseu ~ tno na"agors OF roads to secure tray
1lGf6 Gnu EAlp11QrB from thnan nt,t, /