The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-12-10
ENGINEERS NOT
ALONE TO BLAME
(By United Press.)

WASHINGTON, Dee. 1O-No more
is the engineer of the fast flier the
goat of big railroad wrecks. The
Interstate Commerce commission 3
annual report, issued today, gives him
q nearly clean bill of health. Where
he used to bear the blame, a new vic
tim has been raised-the flagman,
ignorant of the company's rules
The commission pointed out that
there has been considerable de-
crease in the number of collisions due
to the failure of the enginemen to
obey the indications of the block
signal.' At the same time it held
that it is unreasonable to expect free
dom from wrecks when railroads en-
ploy flagmen of little experience with
out any examination as to their
knowledge of rules.
Strong recommendation was made
for universal use of system of auto
matte train control in conjunction
with other safety devices.
During the year the commission in
vestigated SO train wrecks which caus-
ed death to 169 persons and injuries
to 2,134. Improper tagging was Civ
en- as the prime cause of wrecks. In
herent weakness of the train order
system was responsible in several
cases, and the commission advised use
of extra check to safeguard against
danger of forgotten instructions. In
spection and supervision of work of
train service employees is improving,
the report stated, but there is still
need for Standardization of operating
rules.
The report declared that there has
been no material Improvement in bad
track and roadway conditions which
have been the cause of many wrecks
no material improvement. The COM
mision's recommendations, summarize
ed, were:
Construction of building ade-
quate for the commission.
Use of steel cars in passenger SER
vice and prohibition of use of wooden
cars between or in front of steel cars.
Limitation to three years for fling
of actions relating to transportation
charges
Passage of appropriate and ade-
quate legislation for the commission IS
control of railway capitalization.
Authority, explicit and emphatic,
for the commission to examine car
riers' papers, accounts, etc.
establishment of minimum pen
atty of 800 for violation of the hours
act.
The report pointed out a continu-
anee of use of cars in defective condi-
tion and advised railroads to acquaint
responsible employees with the safety
appliance laws.
Progress in work of the physical
valuation of railroads was reported
Eight parties are now going over the
roads and the commission advises in
crease of these parties. Satisfactory
progress in surveying tentative routes
for the Federal railroad in Alaska was
also reported.
Among the commission S larger in
vestigations pending are:
Probe of the financial relations,
rates and practices of the L. & N.
road, the Nashville & Chattanooga
and others; investigation of alleged
rebates of the Steel Corporation; in
vestigation of the little Kanawha rail
road; the Pere Marquette, the c. H.
& D.; the Rock Island; the car icing
subject; of cement, iron ore and steel
rates and transportation practices;
rates and rules for telegraph and tele-
phone companies; and investigation
of revenues of carriers in "official
classification territory.
The commission evidenced intention
of seeking further indictments of
companies billing coal to fictitious
concerns or destinations for rebilling.
1t will also vigorously prosecute ship
pers who falsify report shipments or
give false weights. Early prosecu-
tions win be brought against rail
roads that give concessions to ship
pers through warehouses or similar
devices
The commission said that if con-
gress would grant authority it could
proceed to make uniformity of freight
classification without injuring either
shippers or carriers.
--------O----------