The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-17
MUCH IDENTIFICATION
COMMERCE COMMISSION PLEASED WTFH PRESENT CON OPTIONS.
Amersean Railway nfeieials Are DeiRg An. That Lies in Their
 Pexvex ID Cnr1y' 0uf New 3st

Waahington. Feb, fe---Gratification ia exprAssad by the. Interstate Com merce Comfpissioh over two conditions that have arisen within a day or two.
 In concrete form. they mean that American railway officials as g class, are doing all that lies in their power to meet situations that have develop ed under new laws applying to inter state traffic. Tho effect of this dis position on the part of the carriers is reassuring to the members of the Commission and is quite certain to be equally so to the people of the coun- try. .
 sion that the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road proposes t6 put into effect tomor- row through it's system. the so-called "nine-hour iaw,'' but it's terms does not become operative until March next. The law limits the hours of ser vice of all classes of train dispatchers. railroad teleBraphers. tower men and signal operators. Recently the Inter State Commerce Commission was re- cuested by the operating vice-Presi- dents of ten or twelve important sys- tems of railway to extend the. time of going into effect of the nine hour provision applying to employees who direct the movement of trains. It was pointed out that nine hours consti- tuted an unusual and awkward period. duties of that kind having been per formed twenty-four every day. If two shifts of train dispatchers to tele- graph operators and signal men each worked nine hours. there would be a period of six hours in every twenty four which could not be covered satis- factortly, either to the men them selves or to the railroads. It was i'm dicated that tricks of eight hours might be better for all concerned but for such a period of work the men could not be paid wages which they would regard as adequate for their, needs. And in addition 1t might be difficult to obtain the services of enough skill ed men to make up three shifts every twenty-four hours on all of the rail- roads In America.
 Already the commission has set Feb ruary 27 as a date on which it will hear formal applications for an exten- sion of the time of the operation of the nine hour provision. If the time be extended as to the railroads which are able to show the commission good cause for the extension-and the ex- tension if granted will apply only to tho particular lines which make ap- plication and whose applications are heard formalIy--it is said a proposal will be made in Congress for the AAt0hAAAOAAt UA NAiC Aa " AN oaAANtSA WAel tho showing made before the com mission.
 Another source of qualification to the commission is the very general compliance of the railroads with that provision of the act which makes it obligatory upon carriers to submit to the commission monthly reports cover ing every phase of the operation of interstate railroads. A few weeks ago 1t was announced in a tentative way that several important systems, nota- ply the New York Central lines had declined to furnish reports to the com- mission In accordance with the law and in conformity with the regulations and forms prescribed by the com mission. It was held by the counsel for the New York Central lines for instance. that the proviIson of the law was unconstitutional and 1t was under stood to be the advice of counsel that the officials refuse the report. Within a day or two ah .undeFstanding has been reached between the commission and the New York Central by which the road has filed with the commits sion complete reports of its operations for the five months ended November 30 last.
 The commission now has complete returns for five months ended Novem- Der 30 of ninety-nine per cent of the railroad mileage of the country.