Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-15

1t is probable that no other bureau in
the government service will increase so
rapidly in size and Importance in the ap-
preaching decade as. the interstate COM
merce commission. The entire trend Of
recent legislation has been toward a
more stringent regulation Of railroads
and other common carriers Of the coun-
try. The commission was founded two
decades ago. 1t had comparatively little
work to do until the agitation Of 1908.
which resulted in the passage Of the
rate bill. Last winter 1t was found ad-
visabIe further to strengthen the hands
of the commission, and it is probable
that during the next two years its power
will be greatly increased.
The commission has governmental SUI
pervision over the common carriers Of the
United States. This includes not only the
railroads and steamboat lines, but ex-
press companies the Pullman commpany
and the telegraph, wireless telegraph and
telephone lines of the country doing an
interstate business. 1t also watches the
operation Of the pipe lines Of the coun-,
try which carry petroleum. The COR
porations over which it has this super
vision enjoy an annual revenue of more
than 5000, 600, 600. The transportation
lines have mileage Of more than
quarter of a million miles. Much of the
the Interpretation of interstate commerce
laws for the benefit of shippers and
carriers.
A court will not answer q hypothetical
question or decide an imaginary. case,
but the interstate commerce commission
will turn aside from the red tape of the
law. and offers all parties interested the
best information il can give. IL a given
question relates to matters of common
interest or frequent rulings, the opinions
of the commission are printed and placed
in the hands Of all who need them. By
this means comprehensive code OF
rules is in process OF development, the
observance Of which operates to pro-
part of shippers and carriers.
The commission considers two classes
Of complaints-informal and formal. In
formal complaints
Two Glasses may be filed by any
>e r.--,.:A citizen having
OF complaints. grievance against
common carrier. The commission inves-
tigates these complaints in an informal
way II tthey are found to be justified,
1t recommends to the carrier at
fault that satisfaction be given to the
complainant. These complaints range all
the way from an alleged overcharge for
a railroad ticket to an unsatisfactory
method of handling thousands of tons Of
coal.
Formal complaints may be filed only by
accredited attorneys, and they cover
every sort of subject from a claim for
reparation. involving a few dollars, to
complaint against the entire freigit-han-
ding system of a given carrier. In the
investigation of formal complaints some
600 hearings a year are held, and in
these hearings more than $4,000 pages of
testimony are taken. The commission. or
its various members, visit different parts
OF the country and hold as many hear
ings as possible. If the pressure of bust
ness requires it, this duty may be per-
formed by special agents designated by
the commission.
The enforcement Of the law requiring
railroads to equip their cars with safety
appliances Is intrusted to the commission.
This law has worked admirably in pro-
tecting railway employees, as Is shown by
the fact that in 1893 seventy-seven out of
each thousand men in the service were
injured, as compared with sixteen out of
opposed the proposition that they should
be required to equip their trains with
power brakes and automatic couplings
but they now admit that this equipment
is as much to their interest as to that of
the employee. The commission is now in
vestigating the question OF the substitu-
ton Of the telephone for the telegraph in
train dispatching. These investigations
show that wherever the telephone has
been tried 1t has demonstrated its superb
ority over the telegraph.
1t also has been charged with the inves-
tigation of block signals and other acct
dent-preventing
Accident. Preventinu apparatus in
train operation
Apparatus. A board OF