The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-03

 freight congestion and the inadequate.
 irregular passenger service maintained by most of them. l therefore again recomend that the Railroad Commission
 be authorized to employ a competent
 civil engineer, who shall be an expert
 in values of railroad property, to in- spect the physical condition of the roadoeds. track. stations and rolling
 stock Of the railroads of the State, and
 value the same, reporting his findings
 as to physical conditions and values
 to the Railroad Commission, in detail,
 Tor each railroad and division thereof Commission be empowered to make such rules and regulations and orders based upon such re, ort as may be nec-
 essary to enforce the maintenance by
 State of their roadbeds, tracks and rolling stock in such condition as to
 safely and adequately and with reas-
 onabie dispatch discharge their duties 10 the public as common carriers. Recommends Reports.
 also would recommend in this
 connection that the railroad companies
 ooing business in this State be re-
 road commission, every six months, of
 the number of engines and cars of the
 several classes and kinds. and their
 oSha1stoh oS tha'r ana location. and the amount
 fer facilities Such reports to be used
 as a basis for determining the ade-
 fua;cy qbs;, or their equipment 10 discharge
 carriers for the next six months And
 the Railroad Commission should be given power. when such reports and
 the report of the engineer show that
 the equipment and facilities of any
 railroad are inadequate to properly discharge its duties under its charter
 to the public as common carrier, to
 reqpire such railroad company to make
 such addition to its rolling stock track
 age. or other equipment as may be necessary to properly and expeditiously
 handle the traffic offered it. And
 company to comply with such order, | except upon good cause shown, to have such deficiencies in trackage,
 equipment or maintenance supplied, the same to be a first lien upon the fran chises, rolling stock and equipment
 of the railroads so in default, and that these properties be made subject to i and liens
 The report of the engineer as to
 the value of the railroad properties of the State would put the Railroad Com mission in position to know the value
 of the railroads. when they are estab- fishing rates for transportation. The
 railroad companies In the litigation
 arising from the orders fixing rates i now have the advantage of the Rail- | road Commission. the latter being with out guide to the yaleus, except the statements of the railroad oificiaIs
 themselves who may value the roads
 at an extravagant figure against which the Commission has no check, as is the case in tie Louisville and Nashville Railroad suit, now pending before the
 United States Court at Atlanta. The taiiroad Commissioners are powerless to show the value of the road except by the showing of the railroad com pany, when they should be prepared to prove by an experienced engineer the real value of the road.
 l 'The power of the Railroad Commits ksion as to the enforcement of the rules
 and orders In regard to the payment or demurrage for delayed freight or suply of freight cars upon such con- ditions as it may prescribe, should be
 ample and effective, and in the re- , covery of fines and penalties imposed similar to the present Stock Claim Law should be passed allowing the re- covery of twice the amount of such fine i or penalty, together with attorney suit to recover the same.
 T recommend the enactment of law l rqulring the railroads to make annual reports to the Railroad Commission of i the actual amount of local business ! done. both freight and passenger, in | Florida the amount of interstate bus
 mess done by them, and Florida's pro-
 ortion of the freight and passenger l business so done and a statement to l show in tons, or carloads or packages,
 and amount of money paid for same, ana empower the RdlIroad Commission | to investigate the accounts. if they
 doubt the accuracy thereof, by sum
 moning before them to testify any of- i tcer Of the railroad, or other person.
 who may have knowledge upon the l subject.
 l The convenience of the travelling | public requires closer observance of 1 schedules. or at least more reliable dn- 1 formation to the public as to the where. abouts of trains and the time of their arrival at the various stations along 1 the route.
 Railroad Stations.
 Tn every town along the route of | any railroad of l,500 opulation, where 1 the station Is situated away from the ! business center of such town. the rail 1 road should be required to post in some public place In such town, as | rival and departure of It's trains from ! it's stations at least one hour before
 its schedule time, and if such train is
 running behind it's schedule, how late l 1t Is. The public has a right to such
 reliable information in regard to the
 various roldbeds of this State as will | not require persons to spend from one ! to five hours at stations waiting for delayed trains about which they can i get no definite information from rail- l road agents and employees at such sta | tions.
 "I would further recommend that | q statute he passed prohibiting the | railroads operating in this State from | keeping any employe in continuous ser | vice, either as engineer, conductor, | brakeman, fiagman. station agent or operator for more than sixteen consec-
 utive hours and that no such employc.
 2 tter sixteen consecutive hours of ser vice. shall be permitted to again go
 on duty without having had at least