Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-15
The Government at
Work - Interstate
Commerce COm's'n.

arm is held In position by the electric
current the minute the wire was cut or
iutcrfered with. tha current would be
broken and the semiphore arm would warn
the train crew against its own imperfeo-
ton as we'll as against danger ahead.
Another invention being tried under aus
pices OF the block signal board is ono for
the automatic stopping OF trains. This
consists OF lover projecting up from one
OF the rails. This comes in contact with
"a lever that operates the throttle on tho
engine. When ii is necessary that a train
bg stopped, all that is necessary is for the
block operator TO set the track lever In po-
slton and the steam will be cut off auto
maucally. The commission also has charge
OF the enforcement. of the law which re-
qures all locomotives TO be provided with
ash-pans These ash-paus are intended
TO prevent the scattering OF cinders along
the right OF way and resultant fires. II
also attends to the enforcement OF the
law which requires that railroad employees
work no more than "a stated number OF
hours In each twenty-four. In many cases
ii was the fault OF the employee rather than
the railroad company that long hours were
observed by the men. The opportunity to
make extra pay sent many a rainmRn
over the road when almost dead for sleep.
The present law prevents that and In
sures the travelling public greater safety
one OF the duties of the Interstate Com
merce commission is to supervise the ac-
counts of all railroads. Realizing that UNI
less uniform system OF accounting was
established, there could be no efficient sup
ervislop of the operation OF the railroads.
Congress clothed the Interstate Commerce
commission with authority to require the
Institution Of a uniform system of ac-
counting Every common carrier in the
country is required TO furnish the commits
sion with annual reports disclosing GER
tain Information as to it's operation. ..
The railroads and other common car
riers are required to file with the COM
mission notice OF every change of rate
at least thirty days before that rate goes
into eject. This Information is at all
times accessible to the public, and II is
declared that the provision for the post
ing Of railroad rates has resulted in
great benefits both to the carriers and the
shippers. one firm estimates that where
its accounts of suspended claims, await
ing adjustment by the railroad, amounted
to 100000 year in the past, they now
amount to less than $4,000 In cO-operH-
ton with the railroad commissions of the
various states, the Interstate Commerce
/ commission has succeeded in inducing the
railroads to establish uniform demurrage
rules. Under these rules it Is unlikely
that there will be another car shortage
such as occurred a few years ago. The
prompt return Of empty cars will DO
equivalent to the addition of 100000 cars
TO the rolling stock of the country.
Although the duties OF the Interstate
Commerce commission are many and
varied, it is probable that the next year
or two will see them greatly increased.
one amendment being urged by the COM
mission looks to the physical valuation OF
the railroads. There has been much diff
| ficulty in the enforcement of the "rea-
| sonable rate" provision of the interstate
| commerce law because there has been no
way to arrive at a judicial valuation of
the railroads physical property. In the
spo. ac case the engineers OF the rail-
loaCs testified that it would cost GER
| Tain amount to reproduce these roads.
Two years later they were testifying again
! upon the same question and this time
| their figures upon the cost OF reproduction
were 20 per cent more than those Of
! fered in their former testimony. In a
! recent state rate controversy the rail-
roads testified that IL would cost 100000
] a mile to reproduce their property. only
few months before they had sworn to
the tax collector that these properties
could be reproduced for $4,000 a mile.
In time the commission probably will
be given jurisdiction over the question Of
capitalization. The constitution OF the
United States provides that no person
shall be deprived Of his property without
due process of law, and the courts have
held that he has under this a constitu-
tional right to a fair return on his In
! VI So ba 10 oil
to purchase roalroad stocks that have
water in them, just so long, the commits
sion holds, will the public be compelled to
pay transportation rates which yield a
fair return on the water, as well as on the
intrinsic value Of the stock. II these two
amendments to the laws OF common car
riers are passed by congress the commits
sion believes the great problems OF
American rate making will nave been
solved.
By PREDRIo ]. HAsKIN,
TOmorrOw-The Governments at WORK
xIL-Civil Service Commission.