Arizona republican., 1904-12-20
Asked for by interstate
 Commerce Commission
CHANGES ARE SUGGESTED
The Present Difficulty of Meeting Complaints - Work Accomplished by the Commission Within the Last Year-RaiIway Casualties.

Washington. D. C.. Dec. 1s.-The an- nual report of the interstate commerce commission was transmitted 10 con gress today. Reference is again made to the principal objects of the act tO regulate commerce. the publication and observance of tarift, rates. and the >commission scys in substance that the successful regulation of the rates de- bends upon the effective operation or both branches of the regulation. The act, as amended by the Elkins act of February 19 1908, and which deals with the publication and invariable application of tariffs, appears to be op- erating successfully as applied to car riers subject to its provosiions: but it is believed 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 a means of affording concessions to shippers, which in ef- feet reduces the cost of moving their products.
 The commission calls attention to the fact that there has been no amend atory legislation conferring power over this rate and making the orders of the commission effective. In the present state of the law, after careful and of 1 ten extended investigation, the com mission may find rate complaine1 | against to be unreasonable and order l the carrier to desist from charging that rate for the future, but it cannot. though the evidence may. and usually does indicate it, find and order a req sOnable rate to be substituted for that 1 which has been found to be unlawful In two instances during the past year the commission has been asked by | both shippers and caIrierS to adjuds- cate controversies between them con corning the adjustment of rates. In each case the questions involved are of manifest importance as affecting the business of competitive communities | and the traffic of the railroad lines by which theZ- are served.
 The commission thinks 1t probable ! thac the eases now pending before iJ. | directly or indirectly affect almost ev-
 cry locality alId nearly all the people
 in the United States.
 1 Besides disposing of a large number
 Of complaints through informal I1ves- ! legations and deciding numerous ques- | tions arising in relation to the pubIi-
 cation and observance of tariffs the
 commission has rendered during the
 year. twenty-seven decisions in reports rand opinions upon cOntested cases or
 investigations made by the commission
 on it's own motion. The report shows
 flat in railway acct Sents there were
 43,266 employees injured and S,S67
 killed, as compared with s. I'll injured
 and 2,316 killed in 1902, with which
 year the comparison is made. There were SOFT passengers injured and 42O
 killed. The increase in the number of deaths of passengers over 1903 is 64 1-2
 per cent. There were ten unusually disastrous accidents during the year. and the report says that the para
 mount requirement is an effective measure for the prevention Of collis- ions. The commission again urges the
 adoption of the Elcck system.
 For the year ending June 8. 1904 the
 preliminary report embraces returns
 for roads representing 2O9,GS2 miles Of
 line, or abcut go Der cent. of the mile age that will be covered by the final
 report. Of the mileage stated. the
 gross earnings of railways were $1.-
 966, ,633, ,S21- The gross earnings for the
 previous year, on 205,313 m:les. were $1. 300, S46 90-. The operating expenses
 of the railways for the year smounte,i
 to $1, 332, SS9, 94S, heinz equivalent <O
 $6.375 Der mile of line, or S250 more
 than for the year 1903. The ratio of 1 operating expenses to earnings was
 67-7S per cent.