The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-10-22
RAILWAY COMMISSIONS REPORT

shutting the present railroad commits
sion entered upon their duties as be.
ginners in the task allotted them none
will deny that they have been faith.
full to the trust reposed in them. In
so far as they have been vested with
wisely and well.
They were handicapped at the start
by lack of proper system The depart
ment having general oversight of the
railroads was in condition that de-
manded reorganization. Almost the
first work confronting the commission
two years ago was the Encouragement,
classification and indeXing of the rec
ords of its predecessors. This work
has been completed and a system framed
whereby it is possibleLto find with
the minimum of time and labor, inform
alton pertaining to any matter hereto
fore considered by the commission.
The commission las consisted of
the scope of its inquiries, Investigations
and recommendations has been broad
ened, but to no great degree. Power
to enforce its mandates or recommend
atoms has been denied it, except
through a resort to Tthe courts. Here
appears the serious handicap respect
ing the efficiency of the commission.
In its eighth biennial report, the board
allows that the railroads have gener-
ally given heed to its orders and rec
concentrations. Nevertheless, the COM
mission has found itself "embar-
rassed'', to use the phraseology of the
report, because of the tedious process
involved in an appeal to the courts.
Notwithstanding the stumbling
blocks left in its path, the commits
sion has done good work and earned
commentator for really valuable SER
vices rendered under depressing condi
tions.
The commission proceeded system
atically to examine the physical condi-
ton of the railroad property of Yer
mont, a thing not attempted in thor
ough manner for years. An expert
was employed to accompany the board
upon its tour of inspection and his
findings upon the condition of the
bridges and other wooden or iron
structures ofithe roads is embodied in
the report. The tour of inspection
covered every trolly as well as steam
road in the State.
In view of the large number of acct
dents in which loss of life occurred-the
number of accidents being 200 in two
years. in which fifty-five people lost
their lives-the commission deems the
suggestion pertinent at this time that
legislation might tend to lessen the
number of killed and injured, especial
ly referring to trespassing upon tracks
and to highway grade crossings. This
suggestion affords food for reflection
upon the part of the General Assem-
bly,. The report touching upon acct
dents has in no wise tended to be any
thing but fair toward the railroads
Each accident is given a rigid investi-
CATION and is reported on in detail.
The recommendation of the board re-
garding the removal of grade crossings
opens up topic that not only demands
attention and legislation, but, that the
public may be safeguarded against
their own indiscretions and careless
ness, something should be done imme-
diately tog abolish, SO far as possible,
this system of death traps.
The board has recommended that it
be given power to compel railroads to
remove distractions which prevent
crossings from being seen by travellers.
As it has been the policy of the State
to be exceedingly liberal toward rail
roads in the granting of corporate pow
ers, franchises, and like privileges to
induce the building of roads, it is only
fair that the State should empower
the men delegated to oversee the ac-
tiOns of such corporations to compel
them to adopt every possible means to
guard against accidents
The board is again wise in its recon-
mendation that there be no watering
of stock or issuing Of bonds to contrib
ute for the purpose Of dividends or in
terests. The over capitalization of
street railways is condemned by the
board, as this results in high rate
of transportation.
Declaring dividends upon the CAPT
tai stock and ON the actual amount
necessary to equip and operate a
road, are two very different prop
N.G I; X y 1T