The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-07-27

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Accident bulletin No. Is, issued by
the interstate commerce commission,
giving an account of railroad accidents
in the United States during the months
of January, February and March, 1905,
shows that during that quarter there
were twenty-eight passengers and 20I
employees killed and 1,651 passengers
and 1902 employees injured in train ac
cidents, making in all 232 persons kill
ed and 3, 713 injured in train accidents.
Other accidents to passengers and en-
ployes, not the result of collisions or
derailments, bring the total number of
casualties up to 1896 900 killed and
1897 injured). There was a decrease
of forty-two in the total number Of per
sons killed, as compared with the quar-
fer ending Dec. 81, 1904. The total col
iisions and derailments was 3,1OS
Q,7S7 collisions and 1921 derailments),
of which 2S4 collisions and III derail-
ments affected passenger trains. The
damage to cars, engines and roadway
by these accidents amounted to $2,449, :
24S. There was an increase of twenty
seven in the number of collisions and
of 131 in the number of derailments, as
compared with the last preceding quar-
ter. The total number of employees re-
ported killed in coupling and uncoup-
ling cars during this quarter was 62.
-
The department of agriculture has
prepared papers in 1000 suits to be
brought against the railroads OF the
country, asking that in each case a
fine of $500 be assessed for viola
ton of the so-called 2S-hour law, pro-
viding for the humane shipment. of
cattle. Nearly every railroad from
Maine to California is involved. The
suits will be fled in the circuits
courts of the United States and judg-
ments will be asked for the benefit
of the federal treasury. The evidence
against the railroads is so clear that
the attorneys for many of the big COM
panies have already begun negotiating
with Secretary Wilson with view to
having him agree to a compromise.
The law under which this wholesale
suing is to be done has been on the
books since 1878, but the railroads
have never given it much thought and
still less observance. 1t requires rail-
road companies transporting cattle
from one state to another to unload
the animals after they have been in
the cars for twenty Eight hours, feed
and water them and give them rest
for at least five hours. Failure to do
SO is punishable by fine Of from 800
to $500.
\ contribution the other day brought
the total of conscience money received
by the government above 100000. In
1911 an account was opened by the
register of the treasury to show from
time to time the receipts of moneys by
the government from unknown persons.
This account is popularity called the
conscience fund.-" but it is not so
styled on the books of the Treasury
Department. In fact, there is no con
science fund" The moneys so receiv-
ed are covered into the general treas
ury as miscellaneous receipts, and may
be used, like other assets of the treas
ury, for any purpose that Congress
may deem proper. Remittances are re-
ceived almost weekly-occasionall
there are two or three contributions a
week-and, as a rule, the letters are
not signed. Frequently they are for
warded by clergymen at the request
of penitents As nearly ali the COM
munications are anonymous acknowl-
edgments are made through the press.
dent Roosevelt quit, a good while ago,
giving autograph photographs Of him.
self to the fathers of large families. A
husky Pittsburg man wrote to him,
some time ago, announcing the arrival
Of his 18th child, though he had teen
married only 20 years. There is no
record or any mention Of the good time
his wife had taking care of so many
children. There was no mention as to
whether the progeny had been we'll
raised or merely allowed to roll on the
ground with the farm animals. Not
promptly receiving an answer, the
proud father wrote again, and then
learned that the President pays no at
tention to such letters.
After an exhaustive Investigation
covering a period of several months,
Joseph L. Bristow, special Panama
railroad commissioner, has submitted
to the secretary Of wa- his report on
trade conditions as affected by the
isthmian railway and its connections
with certain steamship companies.
The commissioner finds there is good
ground for the complaints concerning
the restrictions Of commerce that were
made possible by the monopolistic
combination between the railroad COM
narv o,d cfoa shin oornnauinc uudor