Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-25
LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED.

as ABOVE noted In the case or the Rut-
land Railroad company"
LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED.
In speaking OF the present laws regard
ing the commission, the report says, in
part:
THE entire railroad commission law
should be recast and the duties and pow
ers of the commissioners should be made
clear and unambiguous these duties and
powers should not conflict with those ex-
eicised by the supreme court under other
sections OF our present law but the ST.
preme court should be made a court of
appeal in which the decisions and orders
of the commission can be finally review ed.
Redress OF wrongs suffered by individuals
should be quick and inexpensive and pow
er should bo given the commission to
hear and determine, in the first insta nee,
many issues which are now left to the
adjudication Of commissioners appointed
by the courts. Experience has shown that
remedies are seldom II ever sought by
such an expensive and complex process.
the injured party preferring to suffer the
Inconvenience and wrong than to COM
mence litigation in order to obtain red
ress Railroad companies naturally prefer
to have no changes made in the law that
VIII simplify and expedite proceedings for
relief. The more expensive and tedious
the remedy the less likely is the lndlvld-
ual to invoke assistance
1T has been claimed that the railroad
commission is n useless and expensive
adjunct of the State governments But
the railroad commission Is lust what the
general assembly has made II. If the
legislative authority Yields supinely to
the unfortunate influence of railroad rep
resentatives outside the green haize doors
Of the legislative halls and permits this
influence to dictate how impotent a rail-
road commission shall be. then the fault
is with those who constitute the law maxi
ing body. The inevitable consequence is
that the people must suffer the outrayeou
linconNcncuccs Of railroad travel ldcn Of
proper connections between trains Of d.f-
fercnt systems. inadequate facilities at
railroad stations. delays in the adjust
ment of differences, dangers at highwa;-
grade crossings. insecure and improper
management of electric railways lack of
farm crossings, and many other failures
to reasonably promote the sa retv, secur-
lty and convenience of the public, A
sure result of this Indifference OF the law
making power to remedy these defects
IN the railroad law OF the State is the
discordant note OF defiance which goes
up from at least one railroad corpora ton
whenever the railroad commission seek
to afford relief to petitioners upon abund-
ant proof that wrongs are being suffered
Secure in the conclusion that the gem
eral assembly will not clothe the rail-
road commission with any real authority
this railroad company nsolently refuses
to obey any mandate Of the commission"
ACCIDENTS or THE TERM.
After referring in detail to accidents the
report says:
During the biennial term 81 person.
have been killed and III injured; of those
L were killed and injured at highway
grade crossings and OF trespassers upon
the track SO were killed and II injured. \
detailed statement of these accidents and
the results of Investigations made by this
commission will be found in the chapter
entitled accidents"
For the fiscal year ending June 80. 1905.
the per diem of the three members of this
commission amounted TO the sum of S4.0l4,
and their expenses for the same period in
GLIDING experts, stenographers attorneys
fees, postage, stationery printing biennial
report, miscellaneous printing. maps, tele-
graph and telephone and witness foes
amounted to the sum of s., 2699 For the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1896 the per
diem of the three commissioners amounted
to s3,SS and all other expenses aggrega ed
s., 79s.47''