Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-14
COMMERCE BODY
NOT LARGE ENOUGH
Interstate Commission Says 1t Needs
More Members and Power to
Act in Subdivisions.
RAIL VALUATION PROCEEDING

RAIL VALUATION PROCEEulN6
WASHINGTON. Dec. 13.-Early
enlargement of the membership of
the Interstate Commerce commits
sion, with statutory power to act
through subdivisions. and ''appro-
pirate and adequate" legislation for
control over railway capitalization
were among the important recon-
mendations made to congress today
In the commissions annual report.
The commission suggested that II
should have express authority Of law
70 have access to the letter files OF
carriers; that the use Of steel cars in
passenger trains be required and that
the use in passenger trains of wooden
cars between or in front Of steel cars
be prohibited. 1t was recommended
that the minimum penalty for viola
tions of the hours Of service act be
fixed at a fine Of 800 and that pro-
vision be made that all actions relat-
ing to transportation charges should
be brought within three years.
Expenses About -Four Millions.
For the fiscal year which ended June 20
last the commission spent S3.s33.926, In
GLIDING s2.lsl.s25 for physical valuation
work Its estimates for the year. which
begins July / next. already have been
submitted TO congress.
The report ia largely devoted TO pre-
senting the commissions work for the
year. Under physical valuation work II
reports that since June there have been
twelve roadway and track parties in the
field in each OF the five districts into
which the country has been divided, and
that their total average has been about
1900 miles per month. BY January 1, the
report says, surveys Of nearly 5000 miles
OF railroad will virtually be completed.
The total railroad mileage Of the coun-
try Is put 81 10000. and the report says
that the 100000 miles left at the begin
ming OF the year should be surveyed In
the four following years under the pres
ent arrangement
III il doubtful,"it adds. ~ under the
present organization. work can be prose-
euted more rapidly than II Is now pro-
ceedlng"
ActuaI Cost va. New Prices.
The report states that the survey Of
1900 miles of the Chicago, Rock Island
a Pacific viii be completed by January
with the exception of a few hundred
miles IN the south Surveys OF the Bos-
ton & Maine will also be completed this
year. Before applying the test OF acuai
cost TO roads, however. the report de-
ciares that much more information must
be obtained. and mas determined TO defer
the application Of prices and the final
statement IN dollars OF the cost OF re-
production anew.
1T should be noted explains the re-
port, shat this will not involve delay
IN the final completion OF the work.
since as soon as the application of prices
can be properly begun. the work can be
speedily brought up"
The commission expresses qualification
at the decrease In the number OF coll
llsions. but says that Individual instances
OF unsafe operating methods and VIOLA
tion Of rules ARE still too numerous"
II suggests a Standardization OF operat-
ing rules 70 assure safety OF railway
travel. 20 be obtained through federal
iegisiation. II shows that derailments
have been on the increase and that In
1915 there were 1855 collisions and s.s4s
derailments compared with 5.Ol2 eoilis-
Many Tracks Are Unsafe.
Track conditions which are unsafe for
the operations OF trains at the rate of
speed permitted are too common" says
the report. ''In several Of the deraiiments
investigated the track conditions were
found TO be so bad as 20 be actually un-
safe for the passage OF trains even at
moderate speed, yet no special speed re-
strictions were I'm force, and It was COM
mon practice for trains 10 be operate at
unsafe speed over such track"
The commission suggests the need of
definite information as 10 physical prop
critics OF wheels, rails and other mater
falls used I'm track and equipment and the
strains and stresses they are required 20
sustain IN service. Deraiiments caused by
malicious tampering with track and
switches are reported 20 b. on the In
crease and present problem difficult 20
solve. better policing Of tracks and a
rigid enforcement OF trespass laws be-
ing suggested as remedies.
Up 10 June % plans for tis automatic
train control devices had bean presented
10 the commission for examination Of
which $40 had been examined ana 25i
found iTnprocticable and crude and TWEEN
ty-five found possessed Of ,nerisortous
features, but required further develop-
ment before being entitled to serious con-
sideration. The block system OF opera
ton Is declared to have proven ita
superiority over any other.
The report contains a report OF the i'm
portant court decisions affecting findings
Of the commission.
Cotton Takes