The Washington times., 1915-12-13
Commission, in Annual Report,
Urges Standardization Of
Rules and Steel Cars.
WOULD ENLARGE THE BOARD
More Members Declared Neces-
sary to Handle Work-Tam-
pering With Switches.

Reviewing at length the cause of
railway accidents in the United States
and citing the necessity of greater
safeguards for the travelling public
OF America, the Interstate Commerce
Commission in its annual report given
out today, recommends legislation re-
quiring the Standardization of oper-
ating rules and the fixing OF n min
fmum penalty of 800 for violation of
the hours of service act. The COM
mission also would prohibit the use
of wpoden cars in passenger trains
either between or in front of steel
cars, and would make the use of
steel cars in such trains a require
Inent.
Having failed to secure Congress-
ional action on past appeals for funds
Tor the erection in Washington of an
interstate commerce building, the
commission this year asks, that, in
the interests OF economy and eff
cheney and proper protection for rec
ords. the commission be authorized to
enter into lease arrangement COW
eTing term of years. for suitable
quarters. which can be secured
through the construction of a building
FOR that purpose.
Would Enlarge Board.
. Recommendations are made FOR an
increase in the membership of tho
commission and for authority in law
I" act through subdivision in certain
matters instead OF by the full com
ms sion, in order that work NAV bo
eNpedited and the present personnel
I1,iieseu 1,i ol great pressure OF duties.
ne commission further urges:
nat there should be appronriate
Hfu adequate legislation upon TIE stib-
ton.
MT that porticn of section 20 Of the
az which accords the commission right
ot access TO the accounts records and
1nenoranda kept bv carriers lie amended
80 S5 as S.ro, 10 also accord right Of access to
INC carriers correspondents files
On tie subject of increased ue,rber-
shln. the report says:
ne variety ard volume Of the work
already dfVolved uron the commission
nee ossitate, in its opinion. early enlar%e
lnent of its membership and express
"t'thtorv power to act through subdi-
IsionS DESIGNATED by the commission to
rerform its duties with regard to speci-
ned subjects or features of its work.
subject. OF course. to retention BY the
commission of its control az commits
SION, OF all duties and powers delegated
70 the commission. The recommenda-
ZION for enlargement OF the membership
OF the commission Is directly connected
with and dependent upon the authority
10 a%t through subdivisions"
Tampering With Switches.
In giving statistics on train acct
dents for the year. the commission cx-
presses alarm at the increasing number
of derailments coused by malicious tam
pcring with track or switches. 1t is
declared that bad operating conditions
have been found to exist on scme roads.
and that unsafe trackage has been
found.
in 'f5 deaths and Loss injuries To rer-
sons. We're investigated by the ccmmis-
sion during the year ended June 20,
l9l5; the report says. Forty of these
accidents We're derailments and twenty
six were collisions. The derailments in
Testigated caused seventy-seven deaths
and 81 injuries. and the collisions
eighty-eiGht deaths and 5lI injuries. to
persons. Eight of the collisions occurred
under the block system. and fifteen un-
der the time interval system OF tram
operation: in three of the collisions in
vestigated the method of train operation
was not factor"
1t is particularly gratifying to be able
to note a decrease in the number Of
collisions. Such accidents almost invari-
ably involve error or dereliction of duty
on the part of employees. and reduc-
tion in their number seems to Indicate
Improvement in the morale and dis
Cipline of the train service personnel
While general conditions affecting the
causes of collisions have reen much i'm
proved. individual instances of unsafe
operating methods and violation Of
rules are still too numerous. On some
roads exceedingly bad operating condi-
tions have been found to exist.
AS noted in previous reports Of the
commission. there is need of legislation
requiring the standardization of operat-
ing rules. Safety of railway travel de-
mands uniformity in the codification
and application OF rules relating to the
operation of trains. and this can only
he secured through Federal legislation.
The more numerous train accidents
now now occurring arc derailments; in which
class OF accidents there has been both
an absolute and relative increase dur
ing the past seven years.
OF the forty derailnlents investigated
during the year eleven were caused by
bad track. In previous reports the COM
mission has called attention TO the un-
duly large number of accidents of this
mature" Track conditions which are
the rate of speed permitted are too
common. In several of the derailments
investigated the track conditions were
fodnd to be so bad as To be actually
unsafe for the passage of trains even
at moderate speed. yet no special speed
restrictions We're in force. and it was
common practice for trains to be oper-
atcd at unsafe speed over such track.
p"rai!ments caused bv malicious tam
nering with track o" switches are Ee-
coming numerous enough 10 furnish a
cause for alarm. Six accidents OF this
nature occurred during the year. They
caused the death of twenty and the in
jury of nincty-tWO persons 1t is diff
cult to suggest preventive measures tor
accidents OF this nature. The problem
IS one that seems closely related to the
question of tresDassing. Better policing
OF railway tracks and rigid enforce
nent Of laws against trt spasing suG-
East themselves as remedies. The use
or electric track circuits also affords a
method of detecting an open switch or
break in the running rails of the track.
Safety Devices.
The following statistics are given On
Investigations of safety devices:
During the past fiscal year the in
vestigation of appliances intended to
promote the safety of railroad operation
has been continued. and experimental
tests of two automatic train control de-
wees have been conducted and reports
thereon submitted L. Congress- An
other automatic train control system
has been tested. bHt the tests were not