The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-23
RAIL AND CROSSTIE.

The convention of the car accountants of
the United States will be held in New York
the last week in June. These conventions
are the most largely attended of any in the
country, and the excursions and receptions
after the business of the meetings are usu-
ally very pleasant. The Central and the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway
will have representatives there.
Anticipating large crowds to come over
from Charleston to witness the June re-
gatta of the Savannah Yacht Club on June
5, which will be participated in by three or
more of tho best yachts of the Carolina
club, tie Charleston and Savannah railway
is bestirring itself to help bring the crowds
over to Savannah. aud the following rates
have been offered the club by the Charles
ton and Savannah railway for excursions
to Savannah to witness the regatta Of the
Savannah Yacht Club June 5: For party
of twenty-six, good to return same day,
50 80 each; for party of ten, good to return
next day, So each.
Four successive acts of the Tennessee
legislature for the taxing of sleeping cars
doing business within that state have been
overturned by the courts The act of 1877
taxing every car $50 was declared uncon-
Stitutional by the United States supreme
court because it was an Interference with
interstate commerce. In 1881 a tax Of $3.50
was levied ON every car doing business in
the state and this was similarly treated.
In 1887 a tax of $500 on each car
dong business exclusively within the state
was ordered. this referring to only two cars,
and in 1889 tax of IS, 600 ON sleeping car
companies was levied. Both the latter acts
have recently been declared unconstitu-
tional by the federal court at Nashville.
The court held that the act as passed taxing
sleeping car companies $1,000 was clearly
subterfuge to tax the two cars doing bust
ness exclusively within the state. and was
unconstitutional, because the tax was ex-
orbitant and did not apply TO railroads and
individuals running sleeping cars.
The last report of the interstate commerce
commission states the number of railway
employees killed and injured upon the rail-
ways reporting for the year ending June 80,
1888 about 9215 per cent. of the total mile
age, to have aggregated 22,218; and while
it declares that mo satisfactory statistics
exist of the number killed and injured In
coupling carSn it states that for the year
under consideration 1926 deaths and 6.S27
injuries were reported to the comm ssion as
due to this cause. 1t is added: "These
numbers are somewhat less than the
true ones. for the reason that part of the
roads reporting keep no record which dis
tipguishes coupling accidents from the
total number" 1t is hard at first to believe,
says the Raill0ay Age, that out of 22,21S
reported accidents z, 1853, or over SO per
cent, resulted from coupling cars, but it is
possible that even this large percentage is
less than the truth. Looking through some
of the state railroad commissioners reports
this assumption appears to be verified. The
total number of accidents to employees and
the number which resulted in connection
with coupling cars is given as follows in the
last annual reports for the states named:
Accidents Accidents Per