The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-21
Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion Submits Its Report.
Says Amendments to Present
Law Are Necessary.
PHYSICAL VALUATION
And Power to Prevent Advances
i'm Rates.
Are Among the Things Suggest
ed to Congress.

Washington, Dec, 21.-Vigorous rec
| concentrations for changes in the pres
ent law regulating transportation COM
panies are contained in the twenty
third annual report of the interstate
commerce commission transmitted to-
day to the congress.
Notwithstanding the recommends
tions made, however, the report, in this
respect is notable rather for what it
does not. than for what it does, con-
tain. Five of the suggestions made by
the special committee selected by PreSi-
dent Taft to draft changes in the exist
ing interstate commerce act are offered
in the report 1t is known that the
commission, as body, favOrs the plans
proposed by that committee; but, as a
matter of courtesy, it has refrained, in
it's report, from discussing the changes
in advance of the special message on
the subject which President Taft has
indicated he will send to the congress.
The commission expresses its convic-
ton that certain amendments to pres
ent law are necessary to enable it fully
to accomplish the purposes of congress.
Briefly summarized the proposed
amendments are as follows:
Physical Valuation.
That a physical valuation be made of
the interstate railroads of the country
The commission points to the difficulty
experienced in certain cases where its
orders are attacked in court in meet
ing the testimony as to physical value
offered by the carriers and says that
If it's rates are to be defended, some
method must be furnished by which a
value can be established which shall
be binding on the courts and the COM
mission.
The commission again suggests that
it be given power to prevent advances
in rates or charged in regulations or
practices to the disadvantage Of the
shipper, pending an investigation into
the reasonableness of the proposed
change. It is stated that where rate
has been in effect for years 1t is pre-
sumably reasonable and that there
would be no hardship on the carrier in
giving the commission authority to re-
quire continuance Of the rate until OPP
portunity had been afforded to investt-
gate the proposed advance.
The commissions authority to es-
tablish a joint rate and through route
IS limited to cases where no such route
exists, and the commission recon-
mends that this limitation be sstrick-
en- out of the law so that it may
establish a through route wherever,
upon investigation, 1t is found that the
public necessity and convenience re-
.auire- such action >. Asfurther recon-
mendation is to the effect that in GER
ain instances the shipper be permit
ed to direct the intermediate routing
IF his traffic. 1t Is further requested
hat the law be so amended as to give
he commission undoubted authority
% enter a corrective order as the re-
7ult of an investigation Instituted by
the commission upon its own motion.
Federal Control.
The commission again calls to the
attention of congress the increasing
Importance Of some form of federal
expresses the opinion that adequate
legislation upon this subject is re-
quired by the interests involved.
The annual reports to the commits
| sion from the carriers show that for
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1908.
| the gross operating revenues of all
| railroads in the United States were
| $2,461, 521,345, and the operating in
come derived by subtracting operat-
| ing expenses and taxes) was 1855, 418,-
321. For 1909 the operating revenue
was $2.494,115.589 and the operating
1 income $742,9S7,191 indicating an in
crease for 1909 of $32,594,244 in gross
earnings and 6,568,870 in net earn
| ings. The average number of miles
| operated in 1908 was 228,164 and in
| 1909 233,O02. The large increase in
net as compared with gross earnings
lis accounted for by a reduction of
/ operating expenses in 1903 below those
! of 1908 of $59,224,9S3.
The report indicates that a larger
number of formal complaints were
| filed with the commission in 1903 than
in 1908. During the last year 1,097
| formal proceedings were instituted
formal cases were disposed of. APP
proximately 5000 informal complaints,
of which about half involved informal
| reparation claims. were adjusted dur
| ing the year. Six hundred and one
hearings and investigations-an aver
age of two for each working day-all
| involving alleged violations of the In
| terstate commerce act. were held at
| sessions of the commission in Wash
! ington and in various cities of the
country, at which $1,000 pages of tes-
/ timOn were taken.
Criminal Violations.
Since December 1, 1908, 35 indict-
| ments for criminal violations of the
| interstate commerce law have been
returned and AZ prosecutions have
been concluded. Practically all of the
prosecutions were for some form of
rebate or concession. The fines col
lected under these indictments ag-
gregated $304,233.84. The opinion is
| expressed that violation of the law,
such as rebating in one form or in
| another, il decreasing.
Some account is given of the pro-
/ ceedings had during the year in the
enforcement of the safety appliance
law, and the commission states that
ing. In 1908 the number of men en-
ployed in coupling and uncoupling
cars for each one killed was $40.
| while in 1908 the number employed
for each one killed was $50. The
number of men employed in coupling
and uncoupling cars for each one in
jured in 1898 was 10, while in 1908
it was So. Stated in another way, the
number of men killed in coupling and
uncoupling cars for each 1000 en-
ployed was 8 in 1895 and 1 in 1898
while the number of injuries for each
1000 men employed in this service
was II in 1893 and 16 in 1908.
In that part of the report devoted
to statistics and accounts detailed fig
ures respecting railroad operations for
1Ql2 and QQQ a given nd tte. 1xrorI,