Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-04-10
LARGE FUND To
ASSURE SAFETY
Texas Lines for Fiscal Year
Spent Nearly Million
Dollars


Austin Tex. April How much
money DO the railroads Of Texas an
nualy spend for the purpose Of Sc
curinc o maximum OF safety In the
transportation business la other
words What amount OF freight and
passenger charges paid by the public
goes 20 a fund having for its prime
purpose the prevention of accidents
No one knows exactly. for all the
reads of Texas DO not segregate these
amounts. bat enough companies do
keep these amounts separate % In
dictate the sums OF money spent 20
insure safety runs into The millions
of dollars
Technically sleakus, safety appii-
ances include the following Over
and under grade crossings. right OF
way fences. signals. iutcrlockiut
plants, fire alarm systems, steel pos
tal cars. steps on either side OF head
light. hand rails. electric headlights
safety ash pans. improved air pumps,
equauziug brakes high speed brakes
and air signals ln the operating
department items charged 10 safety
account are dispatchlng trains. yard
switch and signal tenders, intcrlock-
ing. block and other signal apparatus
operation and crossing flagmen and
gatemen.
The twenty companies in Texas
that seYregate these accounts report
that during the fiscal year endinS
June go last the installation, main
tenance and operation Of the Items
included in the safety account cos;
sS17.1581G. This Is bat one ilith
of the railway companies reporting
70 the Texas Railroad Commission,
and the aggregate miles OF the COM
panies that sogrcgate this account Is
approximately one-half " the total
operated mileage In ToNas.
Even with all the money That Is
expended for safety, for inspection
and for appliances 20 make travel
and freight movement more secure
and swift. accidents on railroads, as
In the best regulated families will
Just happen Unfortunately for the
Texas railroad managers the Inter
state Commerce Commission has quit
tabulatug accidents on all railroads
In The United States suitable for COM
uaraiito purposes but the available
figures secured dur.ue the time th'
Interstate Commerce Commission did
tabuIatc these accidents as compared
with the accidents on Texas rOad'
show "a markedly safer system pre-
yailIug on the Texas roads than is
evidently on vogue on the roads oil
the United States as a whole.
Perhaps the most unfortunate con
dillon that Conironts Texas railroads
is many OF the roads IN this state
are unable 20 obtain funds to raise
the standard of the respective prop.
critics 10 the very high plane. Tn
der existing laws no road can Dor
row money In advance over and aboy,
present Fdlut ~ Iuhu ahh S''h''
same by lien for purposes Of max
ing betterments, and all funds foI
betterments must come from freight
earnings The records OF the various
roads in Texas for the last sc,era
years as kept by the Texas Railroad
Commission disclose the fact that IN,
freight and passenger earnings hay,
not been large enough 10 permit tn
expenditure OF sums adequate enough
to meet the pressing demands OF the
hour With a change in the law
which change is urged by the TeNai
Railroad Commission, so as TO per
init the issuance OF bonds for tn,
purpose OF heffcrment sand additions