New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-22
ASKS MORE POWER
TO REGULATE RATES.
Commerce Commission Sug-
gests amendments TO Lac.

Washington. Dec. INSTRUMENTATION
for changes in the law regulating trans
pOrtation companies are contained in the
twenty-third annual report OF the Inter
state Commerce Commission transmitted
T. Congress to-day. Five Of the sugges-
tons made BY the special committee select
ed by President Taft 10 draft changes In
the interstate commerce act are offered
in the report. The commission. as a body,
fsvors the plans proposed by tina. commit
tee. but. a matter OF courtesy. IL has re-
Trained from discussing the changes In ad-
vance OF the special message on the sub
ject which President Taft has indicated
he will send 10 the Congress
Briefly summarized. the proposed amend
nents are as follows;
That a physical valuation Of interstate
railroads be made. The commission points
10 the difficulty experienced I'm certain
cases where its orders are attacked in court
IN meeting the testimony as 10 physical
value offered by the carriers. and says that
II its rates are 10 be defended. some method
must be furnished by which a value can
be established which shall be binding on
the courts and the commission
The commission again suggests that IL
be empowered 10 prevent advances in rates
or changes in regulations or practices 20
the disadvantage Of the shipper pending
an investigation into the reasonableness OF
the proposed change. To Is said that where
q rate has been In effect for wears II Is
presumably reasonable. sad tHat there
would be no hardship on the carrier tn Civ
ing the commission authority To require
continuance Of the rate until opportunity
had been afforded TO investigate the pro-
posed advance.
Authority 10 establish a Joint rate and
through route is limited 10 cases where no
such route exists. AMI the commission rec
omm-rds that this limitation b stricken
out Of the law. 50 that il may establish
through route wherever on investigation, II
Is found that the public necessity and con-
venieHoe require such action \ further
recommendation is TO the effect that In Ger
tain Instances the shipper be permitted 20
direct the intermediate routing Of his trait
hc. II is further requested that the Law be
50 amended To give the commission I'M
doubted authority 10 enter corrective or
der as the result Of an investigation instt-
tuted on its own motion.
The commission again calls 20 tho stten-
tion cf Congress the increasing importauce
% some form Of federal control over rail-
read capitalization. and expresses the opin-
ton that adequate legislation on this sub
Jet is required by the interests involved
RAILROAD FINANCES.
The annual reports from the carriers show
that for the fiscal year ended June 90. 1875
the gross operating revenue Of all railroads
I'm the United states was g l,52l.35, ana
the operating income was sSJo.4ls.32l For
1879 the operating revenue was s2.iei.i15Sss
and the operating income Ei2. 7,l9l. indi-
eating an increase for .sn9 OF 81. 5s4. IA 10
gross earnings and ssS5ss.ssO in net earn
ings- Tie average number OF miles Cper-
ated In 1875 was s1S4 and in 1879 255eo2-
The large increase IN net as compared with
gross earnings is accounted for by q reduc-
ton OF operating expenses in 1913 below
those % 1875 81 80. 294.9s3
IN the last wear l.0s7 formal proceedings
were Instituted and rs formal cases were
disposed Of. Approximately nine thousand
informal complaints. % which about half
involved informal reparstion claims, were
adjusted
Since December l. 1905 thirty-fve in
dictments for criminal violations OF the in
terstate commerce. law have been returned
and forty-two prosecutions have been con-
cluded. Practically all the prosecutions
were for some form OF rebate or concession
The fines collected under these indictments
aggregated x3O4e35 81. The opinion is
pressed that violations OF the law. such
Relating in one form or in another. are
decreasing.
Some account is given OF the enforcement
% the safety appliance Law. and the com
mission states that the results IN this re
spsct are gratifying In 1893 the number
Of men employed in coupling and uncoup-
ling cars for each one killed was sac. while
In i9Os the number employed for each one
killed was 9S3. The number OF men EN-
ployed in coupling and uncoUpling cars for
each one injured in 1898 was 13 while in
1905 Il was 50. Stated In another way. the
number OF men killed in coupling and IN
coupling cars for each 1000 employed was
3 in 1898 and In 1905. while the number
OF injuries for each 1.e00 men employed in
this $. r,-ice was - in lS9S and Is in 1905