Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-11-22
RAILWAYS PAY AN
EN0RM0USSUM ON
DAMAGE CLAIMS
S2,374. 564 is AMOUNT PAID OUT IN
TEXAS IN YEAR ENDING JUNE 80
FOR PERSONAL DAMAGES.
AMOUNT is EQUAL TO AVERAGE OF
1926 FOR EVERY MILE OF RAIL
ROAD IN OPERATION.
Especial IL The Herald:

NNt"ttIi W Nv siFi"hsss
Austin. Texas. Nov. 22-Gcn. III. q.
.ASkew. Statisticiau for The leading rail
roads Of Texas. has just completed 4
summary of the amount paid out by -
of the leading roads Of Texas in settle
mcnt of personal injuries for the fiscal
wear that ended June 80. These - roads
represent over $1,000 of the total opcr-
ated mileage of Texas and they do over
- per cent OF The total business done in
Texas. The delay in compiling this in
formation has been caused by the tire
mcndouS amount Of labor made neccS-
sary by the rate advance hearing.
The - roads during the period coy
cred by the summary paid out IN settle
mcnt of personal injury eases the emo
mcuS sum of S2.i7 I.G6I.13. or an average
of SlJ6.a6 for every mile of operated
track included in the summary.
This vast sum represents S1i,2i ont Of
every 500 of operating revenue taken in
10y these - lines. OF all the expenses
paid ont by the - lines. ~2->> out Of CIV
cry 500 paid out went Ill settlement az
personal injuries. For every revenue
train operated the carriers paid out ~.
~ cents for every mile such revenue
train run. ~ an average
Just how much of this vast sum
went 10 those injured. or ia the heirs
of The victims " railroad accidents can
not be accurately told. hut il is general
N estimated that from one half Ia one
third went in payment of lawyers fees.
court costs and such matters. BY Strik
img a general average Of the numerous
gueSScS. one can almost H. approximate
Ia ~ufp in aGfiInnffpu th.tf .f III. t.t.,t
sums paid ont by the railroads sixty
per cent went I'd those sustaining the
miSfnr1nn"S of conducting tranSporta-
tion> III Texas. On this basis those IN.
iurcd received in l~iquidatcd damages the
sun of II. I3l.>I. while lawyers and
court costs CONSIGNED S9I9. S65.SS OF the
aggregate amount.
In economic language the last named
sum i located ~ waste Bv this term
those who teach the science Of economics
aver that il Is an expenditure which
would be- unnecessary if a more ration
al method were employed to compensate
those injured. III j. under this theory
that the State Compensation Board for
INDUSTRIAL concerns WAS provided for ny
the legislature. Railroads are not I'm
der the jurisdiction ~ this board.
\ recent compilation showed that for
the state fiscal year ending August Il.
1911. il cost the people of Texas Strik
ing IN average for that wear. about S1.ll
each ~ sustain the state government
aud this excludes the school taxes and
the Confederate pension tax. which are
constitutional %levicS. ON the basis of
this compilation, the waste" incidental
to handling the damage suit industry.
for the fiscal wear ending June 20 last.
Tor the - roads. WAS a sum sufficient to
pay all the state taxes of C55. 1850 ciii
zcnS Of Texas.
Hy another ANALYSIS. II the state COY
eminent were supported ~ 4 per capita
lax. instead Of 4 tax on valuahlcS aud
wealth. the waste" alone for the last
fiscal wear incidental to the personal in
lnrN payments by the - roads included
~ the summary. would have lcrn sun
Gent To have paid the entire state tax
based on the 1910 census fignrc>-of tho
counties Of Dallas. Bcxar. Harris. Tar
rant. NcLcnnan. III Pa>o. and Hunt
who's combined population at the time
the $40 census was taken was but co..
h3l. The remaining 1926 per cnpita>
could have paid The stale tax on several
i'NHN 'fiiAl'N lhhl tN WI IIf MilHtiii
railroads.
Just how to eliminate this waste il
4 problem that i more and more at
l~ractihg the attention Of statesmen and
thinkers. Under the existing order Of
things the damage Suit industry" is
highly specialized in some ccntcrS. while
IA othSr il IL \ negligible quantity. The
aliul,mcntS Of The contingent fees in
personal injury suits create many eases
which under u different method would
not he present.
Payments for personal Injuries arc
under the law charged io operating cN-
pcn>c>. The larger the sums paid ont
~ settlement Of personal injury eases
the larger must bc the expense If rail
roads. RatcS must hc high enough i'm
law u IN equity t. meet All expenses
~ operations and then Weld A fair re-.
turn upon the value Of The railroad prop.
rrty devoted 10 the use 0f the nuhIjc
Rates. rs i well known. arr. fixed Inv
agencies ~ the people ami 80 III the last
analysis the people are paving for the
waste which under the existing plan~
totals = large sunni in the settlement of
damage suits and ac.iI.nf cacac