Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-09

payment to the railroads Of sums due
them under the guaranty provisions
Of thertransportation act. but withheld
under the ruling 6fs the comptroller
Of the treasury was declared by the
interstate commerce commission IN Its
in order that the carriers may prop
erly serve the public" The commits
sion recommended that congress
amend the railroad act to permit the
release and payment to the roads of
the money thus tied up.
Many Of the roads are greatly han
1icapped because Of their inability to
collect the guaranty, the commission
said. Although advances against the
anticipated deficit were made in
scores of instances, the report said,
some, of the roads made no applica-
ton for aid prior t.. September l and
as a result they are estopped from
"justly due them until the mechani-
cal work Of completing their audit
for the entire guaranty period can
be accomplished.
| The commission said that in most
cases it could not determine amounts
or parts Of amounts due the carriers"
but that Its Sc~ertifications of these
honored by the treasury since the
comptroller had ruled that such APP
pltcations for advances must have
been granted prior. to September l.
The commission believed 1t should be
authorized to make reasonable esti-
mates to alleviate the difficulties
confronting. many carriers in meeting
operating expenses, fixed, charges, etc.
The years rail operations have de-
veloped the need of several other
changes in laws, the commission said.
1t urged congress to amend the inter-
state commerce act to provide for the
punishment of any person Offering
rier subject to the act any money or
thing Of value with intent to inf!u-
ence his action o decision with re-
spect to car service and also to pro-
vide for the punishment OF the guilty
1 employee" r.
Appropriate Legislation governing
the transportation of explosives was
asked as were changes in laws affect
ing the awarding OF ~reparat:ons for
damages which, the commission held,
should be q matter entirely for the
adjudication of courts,
The menace of wooden passenger
coaches was set forth as another sub
sion urging that the roads be com
PEELED to use steel cars in all passen-
ger train service and prohibited from
using wooden cars between or in from,
of steel coaches. ~
Referring tt I.the question, Of bribery
Of railroad employees, the commits
sion sadie i.' :sE E&N
"As a result of. the inadequacy OF
the car supply and of railroad trans
portation facilities generally during
the past year, a practice has grown
up among shippers CT bribing operat'
ing employees Of rai1road companie:
in order to obtain transportation serv
ices. The dcmoralizing effects O.
this practice are >far-reaching. Briber.
can not be directly and enectivel!
! reached under existing laws"
On the subject of equipment sup
ply. the commission declared tina
( while the shortage could be minimize'
y by.1@car conservation, and Increased eft
q was substantial additions to equip
ment. The latest general statistics Q
the commission showed hat the rail
roads under its Jurisdiction owned ap
proximately 2.368,870 freight car
:. while an additional LAC, 900 cars wer
: owned privately. The freight car
= were divided as follows: 1,062,S3
:, 107,S20 flat cars $4,000 stock car'
y 10000 refrigerator cars and $500
= cArs of miscellaneous types.
Despite the shortage Of equipmen
y enumerated by, the commission,
showed the volume Of freight carrie
during the first fscvenSmonths of 1872
, exceeded by III percent the freigt
traffic for the corresponding perio
in 1919. Ere ght traffic as a whole fc
The last ccven months also was sal
by the commission to be in excess {
! that of the entire year of 1919.
G While the traffic has increased, tn
8 commissions figures show, the net or
G Grating income has suffered a con.inr
s decline since 1917. The commits
y sion attributed this to heavier main
: tenance costs in which war taxatio
figured. Incomplete statistics, how
ever. made it impossible for the CON
mission to offer accurate compariso
between the years 1917 and 1920. an
e it made no attempt to estimate tn
:. figures for any portion Of the year.
!. The commissions accident tabl
9 . discloses that s ,495 persons were kille
= by trains or in train service acciden,
e during the year 1919. OF these l
1874 Or more than 81 per ent me
!, Ideath In grade crossing accidents.
= - .l-If- N- %