The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-18
Says Report of Interstate
Commerce Commission.
TRAFFIC INC0ME INCREASES
Elkins Law to Enlarge Powers of
Board Is Not the Success That
Was Expected.

not what the commission would like, the
figures show the railroads have enjoyed
q most prosperous year. Earnings ali
over the United States have been in
creased. while the expenses have not
grown in ratio to the income. Figures
also show that more employees of rail-
roads were killed in the year than there
were dead in the whole OF the war with
Spain.
In the beginning of the report the
commission gives the figures relating to
incomes and expenses. and then it dis
cusses tho Ellins law, which it has de-
cided is not the success 1t promised to
be. The law, according to the report. is
81 many cases evaded. and Congress is
asked to amend the act to prevent the
abuses Concerning charges the report
says:
Effect of Elkins Law.
The effect OF the Elkins amendment
has been to bring about in many cases
an increase Of railroad charges, and, as
a result Of the maintenance of rates, has
operated to intensity whatever was
wrong in the tariffs themselves. This is
doubtless one explanation of the marked
increase in the number of formal com
plants made to the commission in the
BILE those Of the previous year and more
than four times the number of those re-
ceived the year before. The fact that
such complaints multiply is highly sig
nifcant Yet the authority of the COM
mission in respect to these matters has
not been enlarged in the least by the
amendment in question"
The report then says the rates in all
parts of the country have been in
creased upon coal, grain. lumber. live
stock. dressed meats. and packing
house products The report says there
has been a disposition TO do away with
special privileges. The commission
calls attention to the increase in rates
being an increase of the transportation
taxation upon the producers of the
country, and says the increases have
in nearly all cases been brought about
by concerted action. There is no way
to prevent these increases.
Freight Rebates Again.
An abuse Of favoritism is referred to
in the report which recalls the methods
Of Rockefeller some years ago to ruin
and drive Independent oil refiners out
of business or into his combine. The
Hutchinson, Kan, Salt Company owned
switch tracks in connection with the
Santa Fe the Rock Island and several
other roads, and II paid rebates to it
self on track charges. thus hauling such
salt as IL desired at about half the
cost paid by the independents. THE re-
suit was the combine sold it's salt in
the markets at so much less than the in
dependents that the latter were driven
out Of business
The commission protests against the
/ growth Of the use of private cars. as
sorting they are injuring shippers gen.
orally. The commission explains why
its attorneys frequently become the law
yers for cOmpiainants against the rail-
roads by asserting that the practice is
necessary to obtain information desired.
y The commission had 5A complaints
made to il. of which 462 have been
considered. The commission has thirty
cases pending IN the courts and nearly
a hundred important decisions were
made. According to the report the law
compelling the placing of safety ap-
planes on cars is being observed.
though many OF the lines are asking
for more time in which to make the
changes required. In several important
eases this privilege has been granted,
and other cases hare still pending.
Number Of Accidents.
Concerning accidents the report says:
In the year ending June 30. 1903. the
number Of passengers killed in train
accidents was l64. and Of injured 4,424; OF
employees killed. SOS: injured. $40.
Casualties from other causes. added to
these. make totals OF S2I passengers and
1923 employees killed and 6.973 passengers
and 29.OOi employees injured. These num-
bers are larger by a considerable per
centage than the corresponding numbers
NJ T-tr
AS to incomes the report SAYS:
THE gross earnings OF the railroads
for the year ended June 30. on the
mileage stated. were s1.s90150679. The
gross earnings FOR the previous year.
on 2O0.154 miles. as shown in the final ne
port. were 1,7Z6. 3S0. 267. Passenger earn
ings amounted to sos. 683. 009 and freight
earnings 10 81 .335. 81. Miscellaneous
earnings connected with operation were
IS, 699. 0S9 Gross earnings from opera
ton averaged s99S2 per mile Of line.
This average is S757 larger than the av-
eragc as shown in the complete report
for 1902 OF the gross earnings per lille
OF line. S2,525 were assignable to the
passenger service and $3.50 to the
freight service. The operating expenses
OF the roads totalized 81. PAS. $40. 49, This
aggregate is equivalent to an expendi
luIt OF %o-l3t per ullle. OF OF sou more
per mile than was shown In the COM
plete returns for 1902
THE total net income of the roads in
cluded IN this advance report was S784.-
700 425
''The dividends declared for the year
ended June 80 BY the railway companies
Tor which returns appear in the prelim-
mary report amounted TO S15s 3100iO.
This sum exceeds that representing the
dividends OF corresponding lines for
1902 by 9.5s9, 100