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 WOFk-Tam-
pering With Switches.

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 a min
imum 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
nent
Having failed to secure Congress-
ional action on past appeals for funds
for the erection in Washington of an
Interstate commerce building, the
commission this year asks, that, in
the interests of economy and effl-
cheney and proper protection for rec
ords, the commission be authorised to
enter into a lease arrangement COW
ering term of years. for suitable
STARTERS. which can be secured
through the construction of building
for that purpose.
Would Enlarge Board.
= recommendations are made Tor an
increase in the membership of the
commission and for authority in law
to act through subdivision in certain
matters instead of by the fun corn
mission, in order that work NAV he
SAipealted and the present personnel
lCIieVed or great pressure of duties
Inc commission further urges:
nat there should be appropriafe
5 aoeQuate legislation upon the sub
!!ttcL or control over railway caritaiiza-
IIhat that portion Of section 20 Of the
hct which accords the commission right
OF access TO the accounts, records and
so as "a l kept 6v carriers be amended
80 as 20 also accord right of access to
inc carriers correspondence files.''
I'LL Ipe subject of increased member
shln, the report says:
The variety ard yolunre NJ tha yuorl.
already devolved upon the Commission
necessitate, in its opinion. early enlarge
s saent OF ITS membership, and express
hitLutory mower to act through subdi-
visions designated by the commission IN
perform its duties with regard to speci-
NED subjects or features of its work.
sCDlect. or course, to retention BY the
commission of its control, as a commits
sion, of all duties and powers delegated
10 the commission. The recommended
ZION for enlargement OF the membership
OF the commission Is directly connected
with and dependent upon the authority
10 aSt through subdivisions"
Tampering With Switches.
dents for the year. the commission ex-
presses alarm at the increasing number
OF derailments caused by malicious tam
pering with track or switches. 1t is
declared that bad operating conditions
have been found to exist on some roads.
and that unsafe trackage has been
'"SixtY-six train accidents. resulting
IN i65 deaths and Loss injuries TO per-
sons. We're investigated by the commits
1915" the report says. "F'arty of these
accidents were derailments and twenty
six were collisions. The derailmentS in
yestigated caused seventy-seven deaths
and 81 injuries. and the collisions
eighty-eight deaths and SIS injuries, to
persons. Eight of the collisions occurred
under the block system. and fifteen I'M
operation: in three of the collisions in
vestiRated the method of train operation
was not factor"
1t is particularly gratifying to be able
TO note decrease in the number of
collisions. Such accidents almost invari-
ably involve error or dereliction of duty
on the part of employees. and a 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 causes Of collisions have reen much in.
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 occurring are 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
had track. In previous reports the COM
mission has called attention to the un-
duly large number of accidents of this
nature Track conditions which are
unsafe for the operation of trains at
Inc rate OF speed permitted are too
common. In several Of the derailments
investigated the track conditions were
found to be so bad as to be actually
unsafe for the passage OF trains even
AT moderate speed, yet no special speed
common practice for trains to be Oper-
atcd at unsafe speed over such track.
nerat.ments caused by malicious tam
Ing with track or switches are Ee-
coming numerous enough TO 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 ninetY-two persons, 1t Is diff
cult TO suggest preventive measures tor
accidents of this nature. The problem
rs one that seems closely related to the
question OF trespassing. Better policing
Of railway tracks and a rigid enforce
ment Of laws against trtspasing sug-
Eest themselves as remedies. The use
OF electric track circuits also affords a
method of detecting an open switch or a
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
vestlgation of appliances intended to
promote the safety of RAILROAD operation
has been continued. and experimental
tests Of two automatic train control de-
vices have been conducted and reports
thereon submitted 10 Congress-. An
other automatic train control system
has been tested, but the tests were not
completed before the end OF the fiscal
year, and arrangements have. been
Saade for conducting tests OF AN auto