Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-12-24
WANTS POWER TO
ENFORCE ORDERS
INTERSTATE COMMERCE CON
MISSION DESIRES NEW LEGis.
LATION.

A washington dispatch says a
the annual report uf the interstate
commerce commission. transmitted tu
o1urrcas today ulorouCc is again
made lu tne two principal objects ot
tne ucr fu regulate commerce tho rup.
lirailUn and observance of tariH ratoa.
aud tup correction. Du complaint ui
established uun rates.
She commission says lu substance
that successful regulation of rates do.
ponds upon nD effective operation ot
both branches or regulation The act.
a. amended hy the elkins law of Fob.
ruarY l9. 1908. aud which deals Witl
the publication aud luygfiHhly appNCa.
tlun of tRuns. appears to be operating
successfully as applied Jo carriers sub.
Ioct fu lts provisions boot iI Is beliUt
cd thuf hysn provisions might bg
madU sumrWrat more UahnItc and
extended ID apply Il uiIUr HgouC.D.
connected With transportation which
may NOW uD used Ha mDtns uf al.
lUrdius concession 600 shippers which
iu effect reduces tHc cost nl moving
their prulucts
Thc commission calls attention fo
Jhe uc. Chat there las hgsn uu
8maaUanry legislation cuullrrius
power over ratios aUI making .u. UT.
dcrs ol tho commission enDcLIve.
Ma. Find Rate Unluot.
but Cannot Change a..
In tHo present state of thr law. afts-
careful and often extended inyostisa.
lion. che commission may hni "a rate
complained against tu bC unreaa0n.
able and order the carrier tn deslst
from charging that ratio Tor tho future
bat 80 cannot. though tho evidence
may and usually does indicate o. NnJ
and order the reasonable rate to be-
substituted fur chat which has boon
found to bo unlawful
m Two instances during tho past
yCar tno commission has hecn asked
by both shippers and carriers 20 nd.
ludiratr controversies between them
concerning the adjustment of rates
ln cuCh case the questions involved
ara OF manifest Importance as anoct.
inr Tho business uf competitive COM
munliieH and thp traffic of the railway
IacB hy which they arc served
The commission thinks 10 probable
hat Che casps uuH pending before it
directly ur Indirectly AFFECT almost
every locality and nearly al nf the
people iu thc United States
Besides dIHpnsiuE of large number
0f complaints through informal inyos.
legations. aud deciding numerous
questions arising in relation to thH
publication aud observance of the
tariffs. fle commission has rendered
during the year fwunty seven ieciH.
ions in reports and opinions upon con
Tested eases ur Investigations made
by tho commission ON lts own motion
Large Increase IN the
Casualties on Railways.
The report shows that in railway
accidents there were 1895 employees
Iniurod and 3.36l killed Zoo 1904 az
compared with 53.7ii injured and D.
al6 killed n 1902. with which year
comparison is made
There were Su1l passengers injured
aud $50 killed The increase boo the
number pf deaths of passengers over
i903 iH Gth per cont There were ton
unusually disastrous accidents during
the year, and the report says that the
paramount requirement iB an effective
mca asure Tor che prevention NJ cnllls
ions Tho commission again urges
the adoption of the block system
For me year ending June 30. 1904
the preliminary report embraces ro.
turns for roads representing POS U02
miles of liue or about 30 per cent of
the mileage that viii De- covered b.
Tho final report
On The mileage stated the gross
earnings of the railways were 81 1866.
t38.2l The gross earnings FOR tho
previous year. on 2063i3 miles. were
$500 SiG9O7 The operating eKpcns.
eB of the railways FOR iho year
amounted to gi382,2 being
equivalent 90 SG375 per mile of lime.
Or $3.50 more than Tor me year 1908
The ratio of operating expenses tU
earnings aas G775 per cent