The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-01-09
ROADS MUST CHECK
AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE
World Wide Reproach to
America" Says Interstate
Commerce Commission.
SYSTEM A REMEDY
Its Adoption Within Two Years should
Be comPulsory--Ratcs to be Reg
ulaSed and Observation-Disclosures
Show Right Spirit.

gs57N @ifSW ntSUI OPiFlS.
Washington, Jan. S.-Characterizing
the dreadful loss of life in railway ac-
cidents as "a world wide reproach to
the railroad profession in America" the
United States commission,
IN It's 2lst annual report, made public
To-Day, calls upon congress and the
railroads to take preventive action.
Here are the figures which furnish
the conission as a text:
1907. 5000 killed, 1926 injured.
1906. APIS killed, Sc, 100 injured.
1904, 1851 killed, 51,343 Injured.
As preventive remedies. the minis
sion advocates:
Extension Of the block system.
increase in safety appliances.
In Two Years.
Apparently out Of patience with con-
Gress' dilatory action on the Escfi bill
requiring railroads to gradually adopt
the block signal system. the commis-
sion says in it's report:
1T will undoubtedly be fair and just
to require the railroads to adopt the
block system in a shorter period Of
time than was contemplated when the
Esch bill was drawn. In onsequenc
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 a made nearly or
quite as rapid progress in the intro
duction of block signals as would have
been required by the bill had 1T been
made a law. 1t is believed, therefore,
that no injustice will be done if rail-
roads, or parts of railroads. having
passenger receipts of $1,000 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
statement of the attitude of the rail-
way officials toward the new railroad
law. In a discussion of the operation
of the act, the commission says:
BY railway nag 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 un"uestionably a fact that great
progres has been made and that fur
Their Improvement is clearly assured.
To a gratifying extent there has been
a readiustment of rates and a correc-
tion of abuses by the carriers thera-
selves"
Increase Every Year.
Continuing the report says:
1.-The total of casualties have largely
Increased year by yea The most
startling cases are collisions. and the
collisions are in a.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-
mended repeatedly the statutory en-
forcement of the use of the block sys-
tenn on all railroads doing interstate
passenger traffic. and now make the
same recommendation again.
The collision horror continues to be
{, crying evil. There has, indeed, been
p steady increase in the use of the block
system on the railroads of the Jul
try. but in the great activity in pas
senger raw of the past few years,
which has been rapidly growing year
by year. the passenger business Of non
block signaled lines has increased. with
chat of others, and many passengers
have been killed in collisions. In the
few serious collisions that have oc-
CURED on block Signaled lines the man
agement and discipline-in every case
with possibly one exception-have beer
shown to be glaringly faulty. demand.
Ing government investigation. This de.
mand is Urgent.
investigation of Accidents.
"The investigation of collisions, de.
railmentsi and other serious accidents
on railroads by competent experts is {
matter deserving the the careful atten.
ton of the congress. A recommends
:ioE to authorize such investigation has
necn made in previous reports, and thu
same recommendation Is now agar
made. Some of the states of the unior
now conduct expert Investigations o
/ b,a moro SnJ.iOlIS r3 jlro31 3rri7anJC hi
in many states there is no authoritative
and expert investigation whatever, ex
cept as the facts of accidents may conn
before the courts when suits ar
brought against railroad companies TO
damages.
A persons travelling on railroad
and ali mer employed Oh Engines o
trains are interested in this matter. !
railroad manager may have reasons
p~ossibly--in some cases from his owl
standpoint good ones-for concealin;
the facts OF a wreck; but it is TO tn
as a warning to others and to throI
light on means Of prevention.
The daily and technical press hav
both Endorsed the recommendation
which have been made by this con-
mission. 1t is universally recognize
that the causes Of railroad accident
are often complicated and obscure an
the responsibility difficult to define.
cross examination and sighting OF ev
dence is necessary in nearly every In
portant case in order to bring out tn
truth and TO rightly apportion tt
blame. Investigation by officers az
pointed by the board of trade has bee
a powerful lever in the improvement {
the management Of the railroads {
Great Britain. the reports of the inve.
,igating officers being published an
widely read.
Safety Appliances.
THE number of casualties to railwa
employees is constantly Increasing. Sc
eral causes contribute to this undesi
able condition. such as increase in II
number of men employed and more e:
TEMPLE OF ART FOR