The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-02

Try so largely depends, so as to en-
courage tie investment of private cap
ital for the expansion of their facili-
ties and services, and the preservation
OF the.r C. edit by means of reasonable
rates which will accord with the high
er costs and burdens placed on them
in complying with statutory require
men;s and governmental awards and
regulations, ine Commission should
be enlarged ant so organized as to be
able to deal promptly with the impor-
tant railroad questions which under the
existing scheme of government regula-
tom niJst be considered by IL. The po-
siion Of a Commissioner should be
placed beyond political influence by a
long tenure of office. and the compen-
sation should be sufficient to attrac.
and retain men of the widest experience
and greatest ability. The regulatory
power of the Commission should be
clearly extended to the supervision and
control of all rates and practices which
Directly or remotely affect interstate
transportation of commerce. and should
lnS!ude power to maintain rate struc-
tare approved by or satisfactory to 1t.
even though 10 accomplish this it should
be Lecessary to prevent reductions of
rates or TO compel advances OF rates
/ fould by the Commission to be unrea-
| sonabty low. An unreasonably low rate
!aay be beneficial to some one or more
/ shippers, but the rates of some other
/ shippers are sure to be disadvantag
eously affected thereby. The services
of the Commission should be made
available to remedy The concededly in
adequate revenues of the railroads for
the transportation of mails and Parcel
Post. ana the power of Commi ssions,
! state and Federal to suspend increases
in rates should be limited. so rs to pre-
vent loss of revenue to the railroads
during the suspension of rates subse-
! quently determined to be reasonable
| increases in wages and other, burdens
which seriously enlarge railroad en-
penses should not be imposed by legis-
/ lalon, or through awards of Govern
mental bodies. unless the ability Of
! 'ic railroads to pay the same under the
rate shedules then in erect is clearly
/ apparent, or unless the Interstate Com
merce Commission is prepared to ap-
prove of increases in the rate schedules
/ that Will enable the railroads to meet
! the same without impairment of their
| credit or efficiency.
! Weak railroads are among the great
est obstacles to business enterprise
and commerce, and the country will
constructive and equitable policy of
public regulation is practiced, not as a
palliative, but as a permanent public
and business necessity.
! The railroads are still burdened with
the needless expenditure required TO
| comply with the so-called Full Crew
! Laws, which are actually Extra Crew
! Laws. The principal requirements of
these laws, which vary somewhat in
! the different states, are in substance
/ that every freight train of more than
thirty cars must have a second brake
man in addition to the regular crew
OF engineman, fireman. conductor, one
regular brakeman and a fiagman: every
passenger train having four or more
eoachesEthis term COVERING Pullman
and dining cars as well-and one bag
gage car, must have an extra brake
man in addition to the regular full
crew consisting of engineman. fireman,
conductor, bagGageman and brakeman,
this not to include train porters and
pullman employees: every train compos-
ed OF -FOUR o. more passenger, mail, or
express cars, empty or loaded. must
conductor and two brakemen. even
though no passengers are carried.
1t is estimated that this law has
added over $1,000. 600 per annum TO the
Operating Expenses of the Pennsylva-
MIA System East and West of Pitts
burgh, and this enforced expenditure is
a pure economic waste. because it does
nol increase the safety or efficiency OF
operations. This amount could have
been spent to far greater advantage in
the Improvement OF roadway and equip
ment, and in giving increased employ
ment. from which the public and eni-
ployes would have received real ben
att. ARBITRARY laws recurring addition
al men on trains without regard to the
necessity Tor their services. impose di-
rect and unnecessary burden on the
public and the Company. Such laws
tend to weaken the working discipline
and from the standpoint of the EN-
PANySo AACe why ithpdlt tue dDlllly OIL
the Company TO continue to paw the
present rates of wages to that great
body of employees whose activities are
needed. but also to delay promotion.
/ Your Company has, therefore, Joined
with other railroads in appealing to the
public for their cooperation in secur-
ing the repeal of this unwise and waste
fuf>legislation. The Management reques,
the SOCK anu bondholders and the en-
ployes, in their own interest, to sup
port this movement.
Traffic.
The tonnage decreased 1888 per cent
and the tonnage mileage decreased 11.67
per cent, due to the general restriction
/ Of business. but freight train mileage
was also reduced 1887 per cent The
reduction in passenger business is re-
fected in the decrease of 2.30 per cent
In the number of passengers, 4.31 per
cent. in passenger mileage, but passen-
ger train mileage was also reduced 4.7a