The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-15
ON TOUR OF
 THE COUNTRY Railway Congress Mem berS Sightseeing. END OF SEVENTH SESSION Considered Most Successful
 Ever Held. Delegates from All over the World Were Assembled in Washington to Discuss Various Technical
 Problems.
END OF SEVENTH SESSION

Washington, May 1.-Two parties of foreign delegates to the International Railway Congress, which closed It's seventh session here yesterday, left Washington tonight on tours of the United States. The parties include about goo delegates and occupies four special trains. One party will reach New York May 23. after having visit ed Altoona. Pittsburg, Cleveland, Buff falo. Niagara Falls. Schenectady and Boston. The other is due in New York the 27th, stopping on its way at Altoona, Pittsburg. Cincinnati. St. Louis, Chicago. Niagara Falls, Mon- treal Saratoga, Schenectady and Albany. The foreign delegates. who include representatives of many Euro pean and other governments and rail- ways, are travelling in the United States as guests of the American Rail- way Association.
 The session of the International Rail- way Congress just closed is considered the most successful the organization has ever held The purposes of this Association of transportation men, enn- bracing practically every railway in the world, are somewhat different from those of the American Railway Asso- station, In that its meetings are in- tended primarily for the interchange of ideas through discussion, and it ordi- narily does not make specific recom- mendations. The official conclusions" from the discussion, are adopted by the Congress by vote.
 The most widely interesting to the public of these conclusions in view of the present discussion of the subject in this country is that relating to railway rates on which after pro- longed discussion in which every coun- try in which railways are operated was tEa afVa1n e ly expressed it's conclusions as follows: Tariffs should be based on com mercial principles, taking into account the special conditions which bear upon the commercial value of the services rendered. With the reservation that rates shall be charged without arbitra- ry discrimination to all shippers alike under like conditions, the making of rates should as far as possible have all the elasticity necessary to permit the development of the traffic and to produce the greatest results to the public, and to the railroads them selves"
 COnclusIOns Ratified.
 These conclusions were ratified at the close of the session, after President Roosevelt's speeches had been natural topic of discussion, and two days after Secretary Tafts address on the subject of freight rates at the big banquet of
 
 Much of the time of the various meet ing was devoted to a consideration of the comparative advantages and dis advantages of American and foreign practice in the mechanical and operat- Ing departments of railroads A sub ject of general importance was involved In the conclusions regarding methods of treating railway sleepers chemically, or otherwise, to protect them against deterioration and destruction by wear and by the clements, and. in that way to lessen present demands upon the country's forest supply. It was deter mined that some method of preserving sleepers was desirable, and as the problem is pressing one in all countries, particularly in the tropics, it was urged that careful records of experimentation should be kept with the ultimate purpose of de- termining the best treatment under various conditions.
 With regard to locomotives, the statement is made that the power of locomotives is more limited in Europe than in America. owing to the lower allowance of weight per axle Euro pean engineers generally agree in thinking that compounding admits of the construction of engines giving a maximum of power and econmy" The introduction of American locomotives in Europe, and European locomotives in America has had the advantage of making konwn on both sides some interesting details of construction, par ticularly the light weight of the parts of European locomotives, and the lubricating devices employed on Ameri- can locomotives
 Progress has been no more rapid in any department of railroading in recent years than in the equipment of passenger cars. Particular attention
 
 subject of light and ventilation, and the methods employed for greater safety and comfort were described in several reports, special comment being made on the satisfactory employment of systems of electric lighting made On railroads, and the advantage of electricity for intermittent lighting such as is required on lines where are frequent tunnels, and for operat- ing driving fans
 Steam Heating.
 There is a tendency to extend the use of steam heating in many coun- tries the Congress found. To obtain sufficient heat for long trains and for times when the temperature is particu- larly low, 1t is deemed advisable to use special pipes or to mix compressed air with the steam. Modern methods of ventilatlng railway trains also came up for consideration. particularly the system now in use on several Ameri- can railways. by which cold air Is cir culated through the cars, forcing the close air ahead of 1t and finally let fling it out at the top of the car.
 About automatic block signal appa- Tatus. such as is so generally employed for protection on the railways of the 1,uited StaHes. the conclusions are 'SThat automatic signalling properly Resigned and installed, be recognized asa suitable means of protecting trains and switching movements. The Con rress notes there has been much i'm 6rovement and extension in automn .ic sienaiIing since the last Congress. a.d that those who have used it have tonnl 1t effective for their purposes. The Congress is not prepared to recommend automatic signalling for general in stallation to supercede existing sSs- tenn, but they consider there are cases where this system may present gen eral advantages" This qualification is caused by a desire of some of the for etEn representatives to adhere to the