The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-29
WILL
 SAFEGUARD ROADS Illinois Interurban Lines Will
 Use Safety Devices DRINK AFFECTS MEN Chicago Banks Have Increased Capital Stock Very Largely During the
 Year and New Banks
 Have Been Added
DRINK AFFECTS MET

Chicago. December 2S-(Special. .)-Safe- guards for fnterurhan railways in Illinois will be the subject of legislation tbis
 winter, in preparation for which & confer
 ence between the railway commissioners and managers of the traction systems has been held to choose a committee to represent the latter in the preparation Of
 the proposed statute. One system has
 ordered block signal equipment for 100 miles Of line and another is planning to operate it's trains by spacing blocks. with
 signals The big signal companies have failed to provide automatic safety stop equipment although offered to them, the hagglfng over price to the poor inventor being the invar1abIe retarding factor in matters of this kind. Alcohol was held responsible for many of the wrecks. Sec rotary Fitzpatrick of the railway commits sion urged this as @ most Important fac tor in the selection Of tratnmen. In tho eastern states where tnterlrban roads form a close network steps have been taken to require safety equipment. R. A Dyer, Jr. assistant general manager of the Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Railroad company, reported to the League for Pubic Safety- 'There are some-safety stop appliances such as you refer to. but these have not come Into general use in connection with block signal systems, on account of being more or less impractical and uncertain, due to weather conditions, and it is the opinion of railway men gen
 t1xr fIu,+ ian 1ubi tain of operation in winter may be an element of danger rather than safety Also, appliances, to be reasonably re- liable, must be simple, as an intricate mechanism cannot be depended upon and may only create an appearance of safety, which. in reality, does not exist. I be- leve there is a device" The Illinois and Indiana railway commissions have knowi- edge of one device which not only tested satisfactorily but is said to meet the re- quirements of simplicity and certainty under any and all weather conditions.
 Irrigation has been made g. household art in Chicago for the winter care of pot ted plants by an ingenious provision for a water reservoir under the dirt. As a result the old fashioned floral displays in windows exposed to the sun have become sufficiently convenient in flats to give a new impetus to the growing of geraniums and things. The wives who live in flats, with little housework and many allure ments to bridge parties and theatres, now can go off for a week if they want to and leave the watering of their flowers to sponge which connects the reservoir be- low with the soil in which the flower roots eat, drink and are merry The pref erence of Chcagoans for flats and apart ment buildings was blow at many old fashioned customs, dear to feminine hearts, but by the sub-irrigation method the window flower custom is reviving, florists say. Incidentally, the ingenuity which applied itself to this homely task promises to be rewarded as generously as was the vendor of the Teddy bear and the inventor of chewing gum.
 Additions aggregating more than s10,- 100000 have been made to the capital stock