The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
Commissions Annual Report TO Con-
dress Points Out Defects in
Legislation.

TcpOTt VI Gu0 1utoISUdCc COuuOAOO OOAA-
mission has been transmitted to con-
gress. Reference is again made to the
two principal objects of the act to reg
ulate commerce, the publication and
observance of tariff rates, and the COR
rection, on complaint, of esta blished
tariff rates. The commission says in
substance that successful regulation of
rates depends upon the effective opera
ton of both branches of regulation.
The act as amended by the Elkins law
Of February 0, 1908, and which deals
with the publication and invariable
application Of traits, appears to be op-
Grating successfully as applied to car
riers subject to it's provisions, but it ia
understood these provisions might be
made somewhat more definite and ex-
tended to apply to other agencies con-
nected with transportation which may
now be used as means of afording
concessions to shippers, which in effect
remove the cost Of moving their prod
ucts.
Defects in the Law.
The commission calls attention to
the fact that there has been no amend
atory legislation comforting power over
rates and making the orders Of the
commission effective. In the present
state of the law, after careful and ex-
tended investigation, the commission
may find rate complained of to be
undesira BILE. and order the carrier to
desist from charging that rate for the
future, but it cannot, though the evil
dence may and usually does indicate
it, find and order the reasonable rate
to be substituted for that which has
been found to be unlawful.
In two instances during the past
year the commission has been asked by
both shippers and carriers co adjudi-
cate controversies between them con.
corning the adjustment of rates. The
commission thinks it probable that the
cases pending before it directly and in
directly affect every locality and near
ly all the people of the United States.
Much Original Work.
Besides disposing Of large number
of complaints for formalin investiga-
ton the commission has rendered dur
ing the year twenty-se decisions in
reports and opinions upon contested
cases or Investigations made by the
commission on it's own motion.
The report shows that in railroad
accidents there were 1926 employees
injured and 1857 killed in 1904, as
compared with S3,711 injured and
Q, 566 killed in 1909, with which year
comparison is made. There were 8,O77
passengers injured and 42O killed. The
increase in the number of deaths of
passengers over 1908 is GAY per cent.
There we're an unusually large number
of accidents during the year.
Thee commission again urges the
adoption of the block system.
For the year ending June 80, 1904,
the preliminary report embraces re-
turns for roads representing 200, oO2
miles Of line, or about 80 per cent of
the mileage that will be covered by the
final report. On the mileage stated
the gross earnings of the railways were
81 1855, 1888, 1871. The gross earnings
for the previous year on 2O5, S13 miles,
were 81 900, 046, 9O7. The operating
expenses of the railways for the year
amounted to $1,s32, S82, 948, being
equivalent to Sc, S75 per mile of line,
or $3.50 more than for the year 1908.
The ratio Of operating expenses to earn
ings was 67.75 per ont.