The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-12-19
SHOULD SUPERVISE
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Also the Operation, Says the
Commission in Annual
Report ...

sizing the necessity Tor further acVloh
by the federal government to provide
greater safety for travellers and en-
ployes upon American railroads, the in
terstate commerce commission, in its an
nual report, submitted to Congress to-
day, makes vigorous recommendations
for additional powers over the physical
construction and operation of the roads,
The commission also recommends that
it be given authority to supervise the
issue of railroad securities and some
measure of control over the capitaliza-
ton.
Conditions disclosed by the commits
sion's investigation of railroad accidents
during the year present a situation
which. the commission believes, ought
to be the subject of immediate legisla-
tion. Seyenty-six accidents investigated
comprised 81 collisions and 25 derail-
ments, and caused the death Of 2S3 and
the injury of 1880 persons,
Commenting upon these facts, the re-
port says:
"The commission again is compelled
to note the exceedingly large proportion
duty on the part of employees. Fifty
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
We're of the same nature as those noted
by the commission in its last annual
report, namely, disregard of fixed sig
mails; improper tagging; failure to obey
train orders; improper checking OF train
register; Misunderstanding of orders; oc-
cupyng main track on time of superior
train; block operator allowed train to
enter occupied block; dispatcher gave
lap order or used improper form of or
der; operator made mistake in copying
order; switch left open in face of ap-
preaching train; excessive speed; failure
to identify train that was met.
"These errors are exactly the ones
which figure in the causes of train ac-
cdents year after year. Their persist
enee, leading always to the same har-
rowing results, points inevitably to the
truth of one or the other of the follow
ing alternatives: Either great majority
of these deplorable railroad disasters are
unavoidable or there exists a widespread
lack of intelligent and well-direeted ef
fort to minimize the mistakes of em-
ployes in the operation of trains. 1t is
not believed that all those accidents
which are caused by the mistakes of
employees are unavoidable. 1t is quite
true that man is prone to error, and as
long as absolute reliance is placed upon
the human element in the operation of
trains accidents are bound to occur, but
until 1t can be shown that all reason
able and proper measures have been TAX
en- for its prevention, no accident can
be classed as unavoidable.
Violations of Simple Rules.
"All of the mistakes noted above are
violations of simple rules, which should
have been easily understood by men or
sufficient intelligence to be entrusted
with the operation of trains The evil
dence is that in the main the rules are
understood, but they are habitually vio-
lated by employees who are charged with
responsibility for the safe movement OF
trains. The evidence also is that in
many cases operating officers are cogni-
zant of this habitual disregard of rules
and no proper steps are taken to cor
rect the evil Many operating officers
seem to proceed upon the theory that
their responsibility ends with the pro-
mitigation of rules, apparently overlook
ing the fact that no matter how in
herently good rule may be, it is of |
no force unless it is obeyed On yery
many railroads there is little or no sys-
tenn OF inspection or supervision of the
work of train-service employees so far |
as pertains to those matters which vi |
tally affect safety. Employees are not |
examined on the operating rules except |
at the time of their promotion, and only |
the most perfunctory efforts are made |
to determine their fitness to perform |
the duties assigned to them from time |
to time.
Lack of Inspection.
"This lack of supervision and inspec- |
tion with respect to matters affecting |
the safety of trains is unexplainable |
when the careful supervision of all mat |
ters directly affecting the revenue of the |
roads is considered. The auditing and |
checking systems used for detecting the |
dishonesty of employees are marvels of |
ingenuity and careful attention to de-
tail. but means of determining whether |
trains are operated in accordance with
the requirements of safety and in con-
tirely lacking.
"In previous reports the commission |
has recommended legislation requiring |
the Standardization of operating rules. |
1t is vital TO the safe movement OF |
trains that rules should be explicit and |
uniform in character, so that they may |
be easily understood and that there may |
be no doubt as to their application. To |
this end federal legislation is necessary. /
Disobedience of Signals.
"Disobedience of signal indications on
block signalled railroads is one of the
most serious phases of the accident sit
uation. Such disobedience often occurs
in connection with the movement of i'm
portant high-speed passenger trains, and
when it results in a collision or derail-
ment a most deplorable casualty list is
its invariable accompaniment. Fourteen
of the investigated accidents which have
occurred on block -signaled roads since
July ], 1911, were caused by enginemen
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