The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-01-09
"World- Wide Reproach to
America" Says interstate
Commerce Commission.
o SYSTEM A REMEDY
its Adoption Within Two Years Should
Be compulsory-Rates TO be Reg
ulated and Tested-Railroads
Show Right Spirit.

the uTcauIu loss Oh iIo IN FallWdy nc
cidents as "a world wide reproach to
the railroad profession in America" the
United States commerce commission,
In its 21st annual report, made public
today, calls upon congress n the
railroads to take preventive action.
Here are the figures. which furnish
the Commission as q text:
1907. 5000 killed, rs, 8 injured.
1906. 4,225 killed. 66.70S injured.
1904, 3,7S7 killed, 51,343 injured.
As preventive remedies. the commits
sion advocates;
Extension Of the block system.
Increase In safety appliances.
In Two Years. f.. .
Apparently out of patience with con-
gress' dilatory action on the Esch bill
requiring railroads to gradually adopt
h block signal system, the commits
sion says In It's report:
ut will undoubtedly be fair and just
to require the railroads to adopt the
block system in q shorter period OF
time than was contemplated when the
Esch bill was drawn. In consequences
Of the discussion OF this subject by
the commission, and of the introduce
ton Of the Esch bill, and for other rea-
sons, some roads nave made nearly or
quite as rapid progress In he intro
duction OF block signals as would have
been required by the bill had IL been
made a law. II Ia believed. therefore,
that no injustice will be done IL rail-
roads. or parts OF railroads, having
passenger receipts OF $500 per mile
per annum, are required to be brought
under the block system in two years.
Railroads having total receipts from
all traffic Of $4,000 per mile per annum
should be subject to the same require
ment."
Railway Managers Help.
Insignificant and important is the
ctat"ment of the attitude Of the rail-
a officials toward h new railroad
law. In a discussion OF the operation
of the act. the commission says:
BY railway managers almost with
out exception the amended law has
been accented In good faith. They ex-
hibit for the most part a sincere earn
est disposition to conform their meth
DDS to its requirements"
The commission adds that it was not
expected the reforms could be brought
about without difficulty or delay. But
1t Is professionally a fact that great
progress has been made and that fur
Their improvement is clearly assured.
To a gratifying extent there has been
a readiustment Of rates n a correc-
tion of abuses by the carriers them-
selves"
Increase Every Year.
Continuing the report says:
THE total of casualties have largely
increased year by year. The most
startling cases are collisions, and the
collisions are In q large majority of in
stances due to certain defects in man
agement, for which the most compre-
hensive remedy is the block system.
This commission has, therefore, recon-
merded repeatedly the statutory en-
forcement Of the use of the block sys-
tenn on all railroads doing interstate
passenger traffic. n now makes the
same recommendation again.
THE collision horror continues to he
a crying evil. There has. indeed, been
q steady increase in the use OF the block
system on the railroads of the coun-
try, but in the great activity in pas
senger travel OF the past few years,
which has been rapidly growing year
by year, the passenger business of non
block signaled lines has increased, with
that of others, II many passengers
have been killed in collisions. In the
few serious collisions that have oc-
CURED on block signaled lines the man
agement and d~iscipline-in every case,
with possibly n exception-have been
shown to be glaringly faulty, demand
Ing government Investigation. This de-
mand is urgent.
Investigation of Accidents.
"The investigation of collisions, de-
railmentS, n other serious accidents
on railroads by competent experts is a
matter deserving the the careful atten-
ton of The congress. A recommended
ton to authorize such Investigation has
been made In previous reports, and the
same recommendation is now again
made. Some of h states of the union
now conduct eXpert investigations of
the more serious railroad accidents, u
in many states there is no authoritative
and expert investigation whatever, ex-
cept as The facts Of accidents may come
before the courts when suits are
brought against railroad companies for
damages.
"All persons travelling on railroads
and all men employed on engines or
trains are Interested in this matter. A
railroad manager may have reasons,
possibly--in some cases from his own
standpoint good ones-for concealinR
the facts OF a wreck; but 1t is to the
public interest that they be disclosed.
as a warning to others and to throw
light on means OF prevention.
THE daily and technical press have
both Endorsed the recommendations
which have been made by this com
mission. 1t is universally recognized
that the causes OF railroad accidents
are often complicated and obscure and
the responsibility difficult to define. A
cross examination II sighting Of evil
dence is necessary in nearly every i'm
portant case in order to bring out the
truth and to rightly apportion the
blame. Investigation by officers ap-
pointed by the board OF trade has been
q powerful lever in the Improvement of
the management Of the railroads of
Great Britain. the reports of the inves-
tigating officers being published and
widely read.
Safety Appliances.
THE number of casualties to railway
employees is constantly increasing. Sew
eral causeS contribute to this undcsir-
able condition. such as increase in the
number Of men employed and more ex-
- mr. RDr ron