The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-22

| ted today to the Congress.
Notwithstanding the recommends
tions made. however. the report. In
this respect. Ii notable rather for
what 1t does not, than for what 1t
does. contain. Five OF the suggestions
made by the special committee Sc
iected by President Taft to draft
changes in the existing Interstate
commerce act are offered In the re-
port. II is known that the commits
sion. az a body, favors the plans pro-
posed by that committee; but. as
matter OF courtesy. 1t has refrained,
| In its report. from discussing the
changes In advance OF the special mes
sage on the subject which President
Taft has indicated he will send TO the
Congress.
Fayors Amendmeats.
The commission expresses Its con-
viction that certain amendments TO
present law are necessary to enable II
| fully to accomplish the purposes OF
Congress. Briefly summarized. the
proposed amendments are as follows:
That ths 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 meeting the testimony az 10
physical value offered by the carriers,
and says that IL It's rates are to be
defended, some method must be iur-
nished by which value can be es-
tablished which shall be binding on
| the courts and the commission.
| The commission again suggests that
liz be given power to prevent advances
i In rates Aor changes In regulations OF
lpractices to the disadvantage OF the
shipper. pending an investisation mt
change. 1t is stated that where rate
/ has been In effect for years 1t is pre-
sumabiy reasonable and that there
Iwould be no hardship on the carrier
lin giving the commission authority 10
| require continuance OF the rate IN
Itil opportunity had been afforded 70
lfnyestigate the proposed advance,
Wants Power Extended.
THE commissions authority to es-
tablish a Joint rate and through route
liz limited to cases where no such route
exists, and the commission recon-
mends that this Limitation De str,oa ~
II Tout of the law, so that II may sstap-
1 fish a through route wherever. upon
lfnvesfixation, IL Is found that the
II nubltc necessity and convenience re-
4 quire such action. A further recon-
i mendation Is to the effect that IN Ger
tain instances the shipper be permit
ted to direct the intermediate routing
Of his traffic. It IL further requested
i that the law be SO amended as to give
i the commission undoubted authority
Ito enter a corrective order as the re-
suit of an Investigation instituted by
the commission upon Its own MOTION.
The commission again calls 10 the at
ltention of Congress the increasing ms
i portance OF some form OF Federal con-
/ troll over railway capitalization ana ex-
presses the opinion that adequate leg
islation upon this subject rs required
by the interests involved
The annual reports to the commission
from the carriers show that Tor the
1 fscal year ended June 30. 1908, the
/ rross GENERATING revenues of all rail-
roads in the United States were $2,4tl,-
II s2i .34b. and the operating income (de-
i rived by subtracting operating ex-
i nAnses and taxesl was $656,SlS,s2l.
For 1903 the operating revenue was
/ S2.4e4ti5.6ss. and the operating IN
J coma S742.ss7.1s1. indicating an IN
i crease for 1903 of s32.5s4.244 In gross
II earnings and $50, 56s,870 In net earn
fngs. The average number OF miles
on Grated In 1908 was 22S.i64 and In 1903
aaa O02 The large increase in net AZ
compared with gross earnings is ac-
i Counted Tor by a reduction Of operat-
ing expenses In 1903 below those Oh
1908 OF $6s,224.sss,
i complaints Mere Numerous.
The report indicates that larger
number Of formal complaints was nled
with the Commission In 1903 than in
la0s. During the last year l,097 formal
proceedings were instituted ana during
the same period 7sS formal cases were
disposed Of Approximately 5000 IN
formal complaints, OF wnicn al out noh
involved informal reparation claims
800 adjusted during the year. six
hundred and one hearings and inVesu-
Rations--an average of two for each
/ working day-all involving alleged VI
olafions of the interstate commerce
act were held at sessions OF the COM
mission in washington and in Yari-
Gus cities OF the country. at wnich YIN
600 pages OF testimony were taken.
i since December 1. 1908. thirty-five in
dictments for criminal violations OF tne
In tarstate commerce law have been re-
turned and forty-two prosecutions rave
haen concluded Practically all or tbs
Il nroseeutions were for some form Of
n rebate or concession. The fines col
tected under these indictments aggtS'
gated $500, 233.S4. The opinion Is ex-
pressed that violations OF the law
such as Relating In one tottn VI "h-
other. Is decreasing.
Some account 10 given OF the proeeei-
Fings had during the year in the en-
forcement of the safety appliance law,
and the Commission states that the re-
suits in this respect are gratifying. In
1903 the number of men employed "a
coupling and uncoupling cars for eaeh
one killed was $40. while In 1908 the
number employed for each one killed
was 9s3 The number OF men employ
1 ed In coupling and uncoupling cars for
each one injured In 1888 was Is. while
In 1908 IT was 6a, Stated in another
way. the number Of men killed in coup
ling and unc0upling cars for each l,OOO
employed was in 1893 and in 1908.
while the number OF injuries tor each
!. 900 men employed In this service was
n In 1893 and ie In 1908.
In that part Of the report devoted to
statistics and accounts detailed figures
respecting railroad operations for 1908
and 1903 are given. and the work or
the Commission in the formulation of
a uniform system OF accounting Is de-
scribed, and satisfaction Is expressed
with the results obtained.