Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-14
Seventh Annual Convention of Rail
road Commissioners.
INTERESTING PROGRAM OF TOPICS
Discussion Given to the Subject Of
Railway Statistics.
ELECTRIC ROADS TALK

The seventh annual convention of the
railroad commissioners of the United States
met this morning in the court room of the
interstate commerce commission. There
were upward of one hundred commits
sioners and railroad men present and
the room was entirely filed. There were
present the following representatives OF
the various states: Alabama, Ross c.
Smith, H. r. Shorter Connecticut, G. NJ.
Woodruff. w. o. Seymour; Georgia, Allen
Fort l.. n. Townsend, G. Gunby Jordan;
Illinois, J. w. Iantis, H. E. Richardson,
clerk; Iowa, w. w. Ainsworth; Maryland,
H. D. Buckley; Michigan, Simeon r. Bill
lings; Minnesota, Ira B. Mills, A. K. Teis-
berg, clerk: Missouri, H. W. Hickman, ].
Fflroy; North Carolina. S. Ohio Williams.
E. C. Beddingfield; North Dakota, George
n. Koyes, J. W. Wamberg, J. w. Carrie.
]. E. Phelan; Ohio. William Kirkby, W. B.
Gaitree; Pennsylvania. Isaac B. Brown;
South Carolina, J. c. Wilson; Virginia, J.
C. tiill West Virginia A. B. Fleming;
Wisconsin,, L. J. Mckenzie.
Others Present.
In addition to the state railway commits
sioners, there also met with the convention
the following representatives of the Ameri-
can Railway Accounting Officers: D. A.
Waterman. treasurer Michigan Central
railroad; C. I. Sturgis president Of the AS
soc.at:on of American Railway Accounting
Officers; H. NJ. Kocherspergec; NJ. Riebe-
mack, assistant controller of the Pennsyl-
vanja railroad; Erastus Young, auditor of
the Union Pacific railroad. and James Pea
body Of the Railway Review, Chicago.
Mr.. Allen Fort of Georgia chosen
chairman of the convention, and. as is the
usual custom, Mr.. Edward A. Ecseley, sec
rotary of the interstate commerce commits
n to
convention. The members of the Interstate
commission were all DISQUALIFICATION,
Veazey, Knapp, Clements and Yeomans
This being the first day of the conven-
ton largely given up to organization and
social requirements, it was not practicable
to hold committee meetings, and reports
We're read from but few committees. AT
the sixth annual convention committees
We're provided for on railway statistics
uniform classification Of freights and leg
islaticn. These committees follows:
On railway statistics, Henry c. Adams,
StatiStlclan of the interstate CONNER ce
commission; \. X. Teisberg of Minnesota,
Allent Fort OF Georgia. William Kriiby of
OHIO and William 0. Seymour OF Connecti-
cut. On uniform classification OF freight,
Ira &. Mills of Minnesota, Simeon r. Bill
lnSs OF Michigan, j. c. Wilson of South
Carolina and j. W. Currie of North Dakota.
On legislation, W. 1antis of Illinois, l. B.
Georgia.
Topics Suggested.
A committee consisting of the following
members: Isaac Is. Brown Of Pennsylvania,
J. w. Luke of Iowa. J. w. Wants of ILL.,
nois, James W. Rea of California and Ed
ward A. Moseley of the District Of Coiuz'l-
bia, also appointed last year to pre-
sent program of topics for consider ration.
This committee, through MI. Brown, the
chairman, submitted the following list of
subjects, which will be taken up after the
of Ill, tf,1
and disposed Of: i. OYercnarges and I'M
dercharges. = Through routes and through
rates. Combination rates on interstate
traffic made by adding through interstate
rates to rates prescribed by state authority
for purely. state traffic. Methods employed
in making through rates generally. j.
Government ownership, government control
and government regulation of railways. t.
liability for detention of freight. ). Safety
appliances and railway accidents. g.
Causes of depressed financial condition of
railways. I. Protection of public interests
during railway labor contests. =. Evils
caused by sudden and arbitrary changes in
railway rates. 8. Regulation of state and
interstate electric railways. 10. Abuses
arising from use of shippers cars.
Reports on Statistics.
Mr.. H. c. Adams, chairman of the COM
mittee on railway statistics, submitted an
elaborate report for that committee on the
ment. This now is the rate per ton per
mile which is objected to by many as an
accurate basis factor in the discussion
cause it is not preceded by uniform clas-
sification. The report sought rather to
make clear why the present unit is I'M
steady than to offer substitute.
The committee on statistics having d.
Vided it's work i'll three parts, Of which
Mr.. Adams paper was the first, Mr.. kirk
by of Ohio followed with the second part,
which treated of the classification of rail-
way statistics. He recommended the Ohio
plan. now adopted by twenty-oEe states
This plan is simply complete system of
forms, well planned ana comprehensive of
all features of railway operations. Being
a good business system its adoption would
bring about uniform result and AFFORD
means of comparison between railroad
operations in any and all the states.
Mr.. A. X. Teisberg of Minnesota pre-
scented a long and carefully prepared res
port on the third division CT the subject of
statistics, which was the matter of earn
inss and operating expenses In concluding
his report Mr.. Teisberg submitted a set of
resolutions for consideration and adoption,
if acceptable, by which it is proposed that
each railroad company, in making reports
to railway commissioners, shall apportion
on a mileage basis it's proportion of cost of
the road and equipment, proportion of
stock, funded debt and fixed charges. In
this apportionment each state is to be
mess originating, terminating and carried
entirely in the state and its mileage of
interstate business. and operating expenses
are to be charged to each state on the basis
of mileage in that state. Reports under
this plan are to be required for the year
ending June 30, 1885,
Cost of It,
This tripartite report, the most important
feature of which was the recommendation
that it would be advisable in the future to
undertake a classification of freight move
ment and freight revenue so that the rev.
enue per ton per mile for each kind of
freight could be secured, as was suggested
at the last convention. In view of the fact
that the cost of the system would be about
81, OOO, COO and of the depressed conditions
of railway business, 1t was voted that the
report lie on the table. Most of the morn
ing was spent in discussion Of the report
and action upon it was postponed.
Electric Roads.
Mr.. Woodward Of Connecticut read an
interesting report on interstate electric
roads, OF the 800 electric roads in the
country, with their 5000 miles Of road,