Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-01-01
NEW RAILROAD BODY
Permanent Organization Embrae.
ing Five States Formed.
HEADQUARTERS IN CHICAGO.
One Purpose 10 to Get In Closer Touch
With Railways and Shippsrs-Eiimi-
nation Of Grade crsssinss Urged.
Measures Against Trsspasssrs suu.
sestsd,


sestsd.
ltallroad commissions of hve states
met ia Chicago the other day and or
galized permanent association TO be
known as the North Central Associa.
tion Of Railway Commissioners. The
object Of the association is declared
to be the consideration OF matters Of
mutual interest to the association and
to the public"
The states represented are Iiiinois.
Michigan. Ohio, Wisconsin and iudi.
ana. The movement WAS started by
the commission of the state of Michi-
gan. and c. l.. Glasgow Of that body
was selected president Of the sssocis.
tiun. Commissioner ". H. Boys Of
Illinois was elected vice president and
William Fitzpatrick secretary. The
headquarters OF the association will
be In Chicago, and meetings are TO he
held at the call of the chairman or
which is member Of the association.
The movement is-regarded by many
as one Of the most important siuce the
creation Of railroad commissions. says
tie Chicago Record Herald In the
discussion preceding the Organization
1t was agreed that there IL too little
uniformity in the action of the vari-
Gus state commissions and that gen.
orally speaking what Is of interest to
the shippers and the railroads Of one
state is equally interesting to those Of
another.
1t is also admitted that there Ia
lack Of sympathy aud understanding
between the commissions and the rat-
roads. and II IA desired to get in closer
touch with hoth the railroads and the
shi 'm,j. 1t is also hoped that the
scora Il the organization may. be en-
large1 to Include many commissions
aIG { at other orgauixa tons Of similar
chars ter may he perfected to consist
Of The commissions which have kin,
dred interests by reason of their terri
torial grouping.
AS beginning the association IL d.
recting its attention to the elimins tion
Of grade crossings and to the subject
Of trespassing on American railroads.
Reports on both subjects were made
by committees appointed some months
ago when preliminary organization
was perfected. The committee on
grade crossings, OF which Commission
er Woods OF Indiana Is chairman, re-
ported that such crossings should be
a loss to know how the movement
could be accelerated.
In Indiana, for example, there are
more than 1000 unprotected grade
crossings and nearly 10000 in illinois.
1t would cost the railroads at least
$3.50. 100000 in the former state and
twice that much In the latter to elimi-
nate these crossings. In Indiana the
railroads have spent only $2.D00,00O IN
the last FIVE years IN eliminating these
crossings, but during the coming year
they are expected to spend $1.0o0,000.
The committee decided that fBturs
crossings at grade should not be per-
mitted that the state commissions
should he given the power to deal
with the separation Of grades and to
apportbsn the cost between the ratl-
roads and the municipalities, that
laws should be passed requiring the
railroads to do away with certain
proportion Of grade crossings every
year and that the slaughter Of people
at such crossings had been properly
characterized "the great American
crime"
The committee on trespassing re-
ported that fully 30 per cent Of the
fatalities on American railroads was
due to trespassing, that laws should be
passed and enforced which would ade-
quately protect the railroads against
trespassers, that section foremen
should haye police powers and that
railroads should be required. as in
England, to post at their stations the
names of all persons convicted Of tres
passing.