The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-30
THE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS.
An Enquiry by the Interstate Conf
merce Commission.

l
Railroad men from al over the country
will gather in this city today to appear
before the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Almost every railroad in the Uni
! ted States win be represented. The meet
/ ing of the railroad men and the session
of the Interstate Commerce Commission
are the results of a law passed by the
last Congress. The enactment made it
| obligatory for every railroad to make a
monthly report to the Interstate Com
| merce Commission of every accident,
great or small. happening to its employees,
passengers. or on its lines.
| The law was passed quite late in the
| session and met with but little opposition
from the railroads. The Interstate Com
merce Commission took up the considera-
/ ton of the manner in which the law could
! be enforced. and some time ago issued
a report schedule. in book form. cover
| ing, in the questions asked, every con-
ceivable form of accident.
| This form was sent to all the railroads
and a letter from Edward Moseley. Sec
rotary of the Commission. accompanied it.
The letter called attention to the act and
to the report form, and stated that the
form was submitted for criticism. and,
further that a session of the Interstate
Commerce Commission would be held in
this city April 80 to which representa-
tives from all railroads were invited for
/ the purpose of discussing the best method
for putting the law into effect.
II is understood that the railroad men
will make no attempt to antagonize the
law. Every railroad company Is required
TO make report on accidents to the
railroad officials of the States through
which its lines pass. The form which the
Commission has prepared is very compre-
hensive. An effort will be mace to have
the form condensed, and to have the
double entries of some forms of accident
done away with.
Some discussion may arise in today's
meeting over the construction of the law.
The act of Congress. provides that
monthly report of all collisions and all ac
cidents to employees shall be made by the
railroad. with an explanation of the causes
and nature of the accident Failure 10
comply with these provisions IS punish
able by a fine of not more taan 800, with
an additional S1O1 for each day of delin-
quency. The right of the Interstate Com
merce Commission to demand 1t. aud the
Commissions jurisdiction over accidents
may be questioned. There is some differ
ence of opinion as 10 what an Interstate
accident" Is, This point may lead to some
sharp controversies.
The railroads are not much incliued TO
oppose the enforcement of the law, be-
cause they do not think that it is aimed
at their interests at ali. T! general dca
is that the Government desrcs to obtain
statistics upon railroad &c, = nts with a
view to making laws whit -. n meas
ure obviate them.
a number of TIE mer ra win appear
before the Commission - ID yesterday,
and established neadquar 1ers tire Stcre-
ham Hotel. Walter D. Hines, Assstan.
Chief Attorney of tie louisville ami Nash
Vile Railway, is secretary of the party.
Other members are Ioseph Brady, General
Agent of the burlington, Cedar Rapids
and Northern; ]. y. NJ. Hamilton, attor-
ney for the At,his0n. Topeka and Santa
Fe; Joseph /. D0T4n. general solicitor of
the Norfolk md Wa5 -ern; Edward Baxter
special counsel for Southern railroads.
Almost all the Western railroads. :nc!ud-
ing the Union Pacific and Great Northern,
the Chicago and Northwestern, the South
ern Pacific, the Burlington, and the St.
Paul, will have representatives here today,
and there will be officials. also from roads
I'm the South.