Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-20
ACTION To INSURE THE SAFETY
OF TRAVELLERS IS IMPERATIVE.
Interstate Commerce Commission Urges
Wisdom of Greater Powers in COntr0l=
ling Railroads and Cutting Pres
ent Terrible Accident Rate.

Washington, Dec. 19.-Emphasizing
the necessity for further action by the
federal government to provide greater
safety for travellers and employees upon
American railroads, the Interstate
Commerce Commission in it's annual
report, submitted to Congress today,
makes vigorous recommendations for
additional powers over the physical
construction and operation of the
roads The commission also recon-
mends that 1T be given authority to
supervise the issue of railroad seeur-
tiles and some measure of control over
the capitalization.
Conditions disclosed by the commits
sions investigation of railroad acci-
dents during the year present situ-
alton which, the commission believes,
ought to be the subject of immediate
legislation. Seventy-six accidents in
vestigated comprised 81 collisions and
25 deraiIments, and caused the death of
283 and the injury of 1880 persons.
Commenting upon these facts, the re-
port says:
THE commission again is compelled
to note the exceedingly large proper
ton of train accidents due to derelic-
ton Of duty on the part of employees.
F'ifty-six of the accidents investigated
during the year, or nearly "A per cent.
of the whole number. were directly
caused by mistakes of employees. These
mistakes were of the same nature as
those noted by the commission in its
last annual report, namely disregard
Of fixed signals; improper Tagging
failure to obey train orders; improper
checking of train register; misunder-
standing of orders; occupying main
track on time of superior train, block
operator allowed train to enter occu-
pied block; dispatcher gave lap order
or used improper form of order; op-
orator made mistake in copying order;
switch left omen in face of approach
ing train; excessive speed; failure to
identify train that was met.
'These errors are exactly the ones
which figure in the causes OF tram
accidents year after year. Their per-
sistence, leading always to the same
narrowing results. points inevitably 10
the truth of one or the other of the
following alternatives: Either great
majority of these deplorable railroad
disasters are unavoidable or there eX-
lists a widespread lack OF inteileeh'
and well-dirceted effort to minimize
the mistakes of employees in the oper-
alton of trains It is not be ieVed that
all those accidents which are eause1
by the mistakes of employees are uh-
avofdable. It is quite true that man
is nrone to error, and as long as ab-
solute reliance is placed upon the hu-
man element in the operation OF trains
accidents are bound to occur, but I'M
til il can be shown that all reason
able and proper measures nave peeil
taken for it's prevention no aecldeht
can be elassed as unavoidable.
"All of the mistakes noted above are
violations of simple rules. which
sbould have teen easily understood
nv men of sufficient intelligence to
be entrusted with the operation OF
trains. The evidence is that N the
main the rules are understood, bat
thev are hahitually violated by ehl-
Moves who are CHARGED with RESPONSE
b;litv for the safe movement oT trains.
THE evidence also is that n many
eases operating officers are cesnl2ah1 !
Of this habitual disregard Of rutes, ana
no nroper steps are taken to correct
the evil Many operating officers
seem to proceed upon the theory thae
,bair responsihility ends with the pro-
rnulration of rules, apparently over
1ool,;rp the fact that no matter how
inherently good a rule may be. it is is
Of no force unless it is obeyed On
very many railroads there is little l,,'e or
no system of inspection or supervision
Of the work of train-service employees
SO far as pertains to those matters
which vitality affect safety. EfiipioSeS
arc not examined on the operation
rrles except at the time of their pro
,,,,,tion. and only the most perfume
tory efforts are made to determine
their fitness to perform the duties as
signed to them from time to time.
This lack of supervision and IN
spection with respect to ss.I..s-..- ma..-rs a.