Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-06

says.
"By railway managers, almost without
exception, the amended law has been &C
cepted in good faith, and they exhibit for
the most part a sincere and earnest dis
position to conform their methods to its
require ments."
Voluntary Reforms.
The commission adds that 1t was not
expected that reforms could be brought
about without difficulty or delay. But it
Is unquestionably the fact that great prog
ress has been made, and that further inn
provement is clearly assured. To gratiA
flying extent there has been readjustment
of rates and correction Of abuses by the
carriers themselves. Methods and usages
of one sort and another which operated to
individual advantage have been volun-
tarily changed. and it is not too much to
say that there IL now a freedom from
forbidden determinations which is actual
and general to degree never before ap-
preached. AS this process goes on. as
special privileges disappear and favoritism
ceases to be even suspected. the indirect,
hut no less certain, benefits OF the law
will become more and more apparent"
The amended act has been in force a
little more than sixteen months, and the
commission points out that a considerable
part Of its time during the past year has
been occupied in living administrative
construction to various provisions Of the
law for the guidance Of both shippers and
carriers An Incidental respect in which
equality Of treatment has been promoted
Is in such matters as switching. terminal,
demurrage, reconsignnnent, elevation and
NJ oh q a III "a q "a
cost of transportation. Respecting these
matters, the report says:
Commission Gratified. 9
ut is this general and marked improve
ment in transportation conditions that the
commission observes with special gratifi-
cation. The amended law with its en-
forceable remedies, the wider recognition
OF its fundamental justice, the quickened
sense Of public obligation on the part Of
the railway managers. the clearer percep-
ton by shippers Of all classes that any
individual advantage is morally as well
as legally indefensible, and the augmented
influence OF the commission resulting
from it's increased authority have all
combined materially to diminish offensive
practices Of every sort and to signa,ly
promote the purposes for which the law
was enacted"
Since the new rate law became effective,
AQGuAL <sSy lStD, Tic fCOIuJ1ltSciOu has
granted relief In the form of corrective
orders in many cases. Up to November
4, 1907, the commission rendered decisions
In los contested cases under the act. In
45 Of these cases orders were made
against the defendant carriers; in 45 the
complaints were dismissed, and in the re-
naming Is no orders were made. In
every instance, except one, the orders Of
the commission were complied with
promptly In the exceptional case. the
YInyd "a II orly any, q nj
road carried the order into the United
States courts, but, pending a -ecision by
the courts. is complying with the order Of
the commission.
Two important subjects are discussed
at length in the report, the one being the
matter Of advance In rates, (which the
commission is wholly without power to
prevent" and the other the dreadful de-
struction Of life in railway accidents
which are not now the subject of Of
hcial Investigation under federal author
ity." Concerning the advance in rates
which rests entirely with the railway"
that when such advance is attacked in a
formal complaint the commission be given
authority by legislation to suspend the
operation Of the advanced rate until the
matter shall have been heard and deter
mined finally.
Respecting the important subjects of
congested trafi1c and car shortage the
commission says the whole problem may
be- said to be due to the fact that the IA
cilities Of the carriers have not kept pace
try One eminent railroad president has
estimated that during the period from
1895 to 1905 the traffic offered for car
riage IN the United States increased no
per cent, while during the same period
the instrumentalities for handling this
frod 3n I'M ar only On
Inadequacy Of Facilities,
at may be conservativeiy stated that
the inadeauacy of transportation facilities
is little less than alarming; that it's con-
tinuation may place an arbitrary limit
upon the future productivity Of the land.
and that the solution of the dificult finan-
cial and physical problems involved is
worthy of the most earnest thought and
effort Of all who believe in the full de-
velopment OF our country and the largest
opportunity for its people,
The work OF the. commission has in
creased enormously in the past year.
During the year 278 hearings were held
in various parts Of the country. against
70 in 1908: and at the hearings 5000 To-
los Of testimony were taken. This indi-
Gates an increase of about $50 per cent.
The hearings consumed the time of the
commission or special examiners from two
hours to eighteen days. and several of the
hearings consumed little short Of a week
each. In the course of the year the COM
mission received 1882 informal COM
plants, an increase Of over 400 per cent
over the previous year. Reparation was
awarded informally to shippers In 561
cases, the aggregate amount OF the claims
being $1O4, 100. The increase in the CORE
spondence of the commission during the
year was about $50 per cent.
Under an act of Congress the commits
sion has awarded eight bronze medals of
honor to persons who. at grave peril to
themselves, saved or attempted to save
lives on the lines Of interstate carriers.
Regarding the Terra Gotta wreck and
the collision on Thanksgiving day, 1906,
In which President Spencer of the South
ern railway was killed. the report says:
Terra Gotta Wreck.
while the commission was engaged in
considering the question of Dlpck signaling
under the joint resolution Of June 80,
1906. there occurred in the District Of Co.
lumbia December 30, 1900 q disastrous
rear collision in which forty-three persons
were killed and many others were injured.
This accident was inquired into by this
commission. An extra train Of empty
passenger cars struck a regular train
heavily loaded with passengers upon q
division of the road which was equipped
with block signal system of manual con-
troll. Several intelligent and credible eye
witnesses testified that q red signal was dis
played against this extra train at a block