The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-21
URGES PHYSICAL
VALUATION Law
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Submits Annual Re-
port to Congress To- day
IMPORTANT FEATURE
OF RAILROAD LAW
Commission Points Out What
Has Been Done Under Re-
Gently Enacted Law; Sug-
gests Amendments

WASHINGTON. ID. C.. Dec. 2l.--Cr-
gent demand is made for the passage
Of law for the physical valuation
Of railroads by the government IN the
annual report OK the Interstate Com
rnerce Commission submitted u Con-
gress o-day.
The report referred 10 the well
known fact that no court or commits
sion or accountant, ar financial writer
would for moment consider that the
presen, railroad balance sheet state
,nent purparting To give the cost OF
property suggests, even Ill "A remof.
degree, reliable measure either al
money invested or of present value.
The railroad iua passed last June
was credited IN he report with hak :
ing corrected numerous defects which
experience had disclosed, conferred
upon tho public rev rights and rene
dies, ana correspondence Increased the
jurisdiction and authority OF the COM
mission
The most Important feature af the
law is sail hH the report ~ he the
provision giving the commission aa
thority to suspend proposed increased
rates pending Investigation of their
property.
HtENCHtffE lf#f fIt@ts iffAf'Af AFfE %44t a. :
tempt Of the railroads IL the East ard
West To make "A general increase -
freight rates. the report says thai yhe
argument viii be begun on January g
and the commission intends tn III
nounce it's decision AZ the earliest pfa4s
;ieable date the~fafter."
$4,000 in FIRES imposed.
Since December !, 1908. thirty -ons
pleas Of guilty for violation Of rati-
road laws were received nnA the fines
tmrosed amounted tn $4,000, -
The Hsht against discrimination"
said tho report. els BY no means wen
practices still rsmaining which are
more tnsidiaus atd more dl@3enlt af
eStirpat'on than open rebatins,> by rea
SON Of the fact that they were hidden
IN con'raeturat ARRANGEMENTS entirely
legal EXCERPT far the effect produced
To sneak generally. these ARRANGEMENTS
depend on their vice uron some plan
by which shippers secure an interest
in carriers profits
The total operating revenues II the
railroads during july AUGUST and Sep
temher. this year wire s74 a.i242o4. AT
Increase OF over xss 600, 900 compared
with the same quarter - 1909. TIE
operating expenses tn the three
months however. wcre sfS9 6sa.3fa an
increase of over $50 oGo, pNa compared
with the sane quarter In 1909
The Telephone Situation.
There are from s5.o0o 10 10000 tele-
phone companies which make prnvis-
ION fer Interstate communication. and
the commission II III doolt v neither II
was the intent nf Congress To place all
these companies Under its sttpt rNisieh
and control
industrial railways" or tap lines,
defined, as railways controlled Icy some
manufacturing or mining industry. are
the subject of keen interest. because
''it is recognized how easily diserirni-
nations may be pfacticed by carriers
through the agency of industrial rail-
ways that connect them with large
shippers
The number of passengcrI killed
during the year ending Juulp~3o. 1910.
was $50; injured, 1855. employees
killed. 3.4lS: injured. $685.. a total of
5.sss killed and ss,i4o injured. The
commission says it has no money to
pay for the investigation of accidents
The railroads are criticised for not
making better use Of safety appliances