The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-12-21

AHooA A\PoiS vi IL Ooold vi an q
commissioners of South Dakota has
been furnished by w. H. Stanley Of
Sioux Falls, secretary OF the board.
1t is shown by the report that ware
house licenses to the number of 1,02S
were issued during the fiscal year end
ing June 80 last. This is an increase
OF 157 over the previous year, and an
Increase of 1S9 over 1904.
The taxes paid by the railroad COM
pan1es with lines in South Dakota dur
Ing the year ending June so last a.
mounted to s337,720.06 an increase of
13,o02.05 over the previous fiscal
year.
1t is recommended by the railroad
commissioners that the legislature en-
act a law requiring grade crossings to
be protected by interlocking and de-
railing appliances at all points where,
In the judgement Of the commission,
the safety of the public demands it.
The legislature also is recommended to
enact a law making it unlawful for
any railroad company to permit
railroad conductor, engineer, fireman,
brakeman or other employee actually
engaged in the running or operation
of trains to work longer than sixteen
consecutive hours out of every twenty
four.
Electric Roads.
1t is pointed out in the report that
the rapid development of electric rail
roads is forcing a new question upon
the board of railroad commissioners
In this state. The statute under which
the board exists restricts its ju%risdic-
ton to roads operated by steam
(street railroads eXcepted). In this
connection the report says:
"a few states have already placed
electric roads under the authority of
Its railroad commissioners in respect
to the matter Of crossing other roads,
but In general there is no law for
railroads using horse, mule, cable or
electric power INC designated as
street railways, and another for those
employing steam power, as in our state.
Now that street railways are expand
ing into interurban roads giving pas
senger and freight service over ex-
tended lines and offering similar
service to that of the steam roads,
1t is found that the laws should be
changed to meet the new conditions.
"a notable example Of the extension
of electric lines within our state is
the comparatively recent TRANSFORMED
ton of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy line between Deadwood and
Lead from a steam railway into an
electric line. In case the commission
was asked to allow an electric road to
cross the tracks of a steam road at
grade, the question would at once a.
rise, Has the commission the author
ity to do SOP The law as it now is
giving the commission only general
supervision over all roads operated
by steam. The law should be so "a
mended as to give the commission
or railways operated by steam or cleo
trio power, street railways only ex-
copied"
The board recommends the enact
ment Of laws empowering the com
mission to direct railroad companies
to construct either overhead or I'M
dercrossings, or to place electric bells
or other safety appliances at all grade
highway crossings, where, in the judg-
ment of the members of the board. it
is considered necessary or proper for
the safety of the public.
Reports on Accidents.
The railroad commissioners recon-
mend the enactment Of a law similar
to thai of Wisconsin directing that in
the event of a railroad accA>nt within
the limits of South Dakota, the rail
road company upon whose lines the
accident occurs shall Immediately no.
tify the commissioners, who, under
the proposed new law, would have
authority to conduct an investigation
as to the of the accident and
fix the blame where it properly be-
longed.
Owing to the uncertainty of the au-
thority Of the railroad commissioners
in cases where it Is desired to have
connecting tracks constructed at
points where the lines of different
railroad companies intersect, so as to
permit the transfer from the track
of another of loaded and empty cars
designed for transportation upon both
roads, the commissioners ask the en-
actment of laws authorizing the board
to order the construction of such con-
Meeting tracks and definitely prescrib-
ing the procedure in such cases.
1t is recommended in the report that
sufficient laws be enacted making it
unlawful for any railroad company to
close or abandon any passenger or
freight station, or to remove the sta
ton building from any station, or to
withdraw an agent from n station
where an agent has once been em-
ployed, without first obtaining the
Sela Helmer and Thomas Brown,
the first horse thieves that have been
arrested in this section for many
months, were brought in to Belle
Fourche from Sundance by Sheriff