Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-31
RAILWAYS.
Inter State Commerce
Commission.
FILES ITS NINTH ANNUAL REPORT
WITH CONGRESS-.
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS
Is GIVEN OF SOME OF THE MOST
SALIENT POINTS AND RECON-
MESDATIoNs MADE.
Reaching After the scalp of the He-
cent Great Combination Eject
cd by Eastern Lines.

Washington. Dec. s0.--The ninth an
nual report OF the Interstate commerce
commission has been submitted to con-
gress and is volumlnous as well as
an interesting document The commits
sion takes UP each branch OF Its oper-
atlons and enters into an exhaustive
statement, giving facts and figures In
substantiatlon OF every detail.
Under the heading of traffic agree
nents the subject OF pooling of freight
and division OF earnings is considered
and various traffic agreements are
mentioned and discussed. The agree
ment OF the Central Traffic association
for division of east-bound dead freight.
dressed meats and live stock from Chi
cago, In effect from May /. 1894. is de-
scrlbed as being virtually n pooling
agreement, because the parties there
to engage to divide among themselves
In proportions to be fixed by mutual
agreements, the entire cunpeuuSe
traffic. each agreeing for Its part 10
limit its business to the extent neces-
sary for that purpose" The commits
sion having reached the conclusion that
this contract violated the fifth section
Of the act. referred the matter, with
the documents relating thereto, to tho
attorney general. requesting him 10
direct the United States attorney OF
the proper distrlc: TO institute and
prosecute necessary proceedings for
the punishment OF such violation.
In June last the commission inquired
into certain agreements alleged to have
been made between the Virgins Ferry
company. nm Illinois corporation. and
the Terminal Railroad association OF
| St Louis. n Missouri corporation. This
! inquiry disclosed series of contracts
/ ana traffic arrangements which, In the
| opinion OF the commission, constituted
| n clear case OF violation of both clauses
! OF the htth section Of the act. The
| commission transmitted through the
| attorney general to the United States
/ attorney for the Eastern district of
| Missouri NIL the papers and evidence
| which II had In Its possession bearing
| on the case, with the request that the
| persons offending. who We're The officers
| Of those corporations. be Indicted. The
| case was laid before the grand jury In
/ ST. Louis but that body failed to find
| a true bill,
| 1t Is generally known that contract
| has boon agreed upon between the
{ PRINCIPAL railroads connecting Chicago
/ with the Atlantic seabonrd, and It Is
. expected that such contract will Ibe
/ put IN operation at an early date,
| Traffic agreements between railroad
( companies have been filed from time to
| time with the commission. many OF
I which, In It's opinion. do not transgress
Z the law. The making Of new con-
tract affords no presumption mat any
thing in contraventlon OF law is CON
tefpplated, ana the commission does not
consider that II would be justified In
taking any steps until contract. IL
legal upon its face, shall be filed with
It, or until It shall have some evidence
/ that under color OF agreement the law
| Ia In fact violated by its operation.
| What has been said by the commission
on the subject OF pooling In previous
annual reports is referred to In the
present report While the commission
In impressed with the evils attending
the present systNn OF competition and
| comedies that the practical results Of
/ that system upon the railroads and
the public are Unsatisfactory In many
I respects, II nevertheless believes that
/ the re-establBhment OF pooling with
out adequate restrictions ana further
I remedial legislation, would be unwise
] since otherwise II would he In the pow
err OF the eohbination to charge excess
i've rates fdr the transportation OF sta
pie commodities and necessarles, and
thus to deprive the people OF the hene-
fits arisink from the competition which
now exisf, II is necessary In our opin-
ion that Rates established by the COM
biuatlonI should be subject TO effective
control BY the combustion.
Under the restrictions suggested,
pooling would he permitted on cOndi-
ton thht the corporations so privileged
submit themselves TO the only legal nu-
thorli5 which can prevent an abuse OF
the Bivliege.
Thd fact that on account OF def
clendes In the law II has been virtually
impossible TO enforce the penal provls-
ions Of the law Is mentioned at some
lenfth, and easea yet pending In the
courts cited The special weakness Of
thy law is pointed out ms the want OF
nrhiity and binding force to the de-
ctions OF the commission. The decis-
on OF the commission should be made
10 stand as rule OF conduct prescribed
w bubble authirity until obvious error
and material injury has been proved.
Several amendments nre suggested to
the law, and very creditnble exhibitions
made OF the past work OF the COM
mission.
The renort shows that for the year
ending June 20. 1854. there was u total
mileage in the United States OF u.s.
TosSs an increase for the year OF
s?iT4s miles, and the average oapitali-
sstion OF these roads Il given at s62.-
sSi per mile. Tho total number OF
passengers carried Is given AZ 5i0,6ss.-
1ga, and tho total tons ~ freight moved
was s9siS6,sb Both OF these items
showing n decrease AZ compared with
the previous year The operation OF
the lines show a net deficit for the
yenr OF A5,ssi,a 9i.
II Mention In made Of the extension OF
the safety appliance law until Fcbru-
airy IL, 1895, and uniformity in these
appliances IN strongly urced. During
the year ending June ~ 1894. 1879 rail-
way employees were Killed. and 23.42s
were Injured. comptfed with the
previous year this shows a decrease OF
aol In the number OF employees killed
and sao1 IN the nufnthr OF employees
injured. One reason ftr this large de-
crease in casualty " the reductlon. to
the extent OF $780, IN the number OF
year ending June 80. lies. have AZ yet
been compiled. II Is Known. however,
that the equipment OF ters with hand