The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-10
IMMEDIATE PAYMENTS
TO The RAILROADS
IS DECLARED VITAL

WASHINGTON. Dec. 9.--lmmediatc pay
m"rt to the railroads Of sums due them
under the guaranty provisions 81 IN"
transportation act but withheld under
III" ruling Of III" comptroller al the
treasury was declared by the Interstate
Commerce commission IN Its annual re-
port Today 10 be vital in order
that the carriers may properly S"rNe IN,
public" The commission recommended
that congress amend the railroad act
20 permit the release and payment 10 the
roads Of tina money thus tied up.
Many OF the roads ar" greatly hand:-
capped because " their inability 10 col
lcCt the guaranty. tn" commission sa'd.
Although advances against the ant!C!-
pated deficit were m?d:. in scores oi iN-
stances. the report sid. SOME 81 the
roads mad. no application for an PRIOR
to S"pIC:nhcr l. and as result they
are cStoppcd from claiming even Il por.
ton OF moneys Justly du" Them until
the mechanical work Of completing their
audit for the entire guaranty period can
comptrolier's Ruling.
The commission said that IN most
cases il could now dctcrmu" "aununt$
or parts OF amounts due the CARRIERS
but that its Ccrtincations Of these sums
70 the treasury c0Hld not BE- honorcd 10y
tho treasury since the comptroller had
ruled that such applications for adj
vances must hav"' been granted prior 10
September !. The commission believed
It should be authorized 10 max, 'rca-
Snnablc estimates" to alleviate the dlC-
licuiticS confronting many carriers N
meeting operating expenses. nNcd
charges. etc.
Tho years rail operations have de-
rclcp-d the need of several other
changes in laws. tho commission said.
II urged congress to amend IN" lnt"r-
state commerce act to provide Coy In"
punishment of any person ""ffc-'nS or
giving t. an cmpioyc OF CARR" SUI.
value with intent to influence his action
or decision with respect TO car service
and also to provide for the punishment
Uf the guilty employees.
Appropriate Legislation governing the
transportation OF explosives was asked
rs wcro changes i'll laws Affect x the
awarding OF rcparations for damages
which. the commission held, should he
Il matter entirely for the adjudication
OF courts.
Tho menace Of wooden passenger
coaches was set forth as another sub
irct for Legislative action, the commits
sion urging that the roads l." compei'rh
70 use steel cars IN all passenger train
service ard prohibited from using wool
r,l ears between or in from: of steel
coaches.
Bribery OF Railronders.
Referring to the question of hrib"-y
Of railroad employee, the commission
said:
AS n result OF tho Inadequary Nf the
car supply and Of railroad Transports
ton facilities generally during the past
year, 4 practice has grown up among
shippers Of bribing operating employees
Of railroad companies In order 10 obtain
transportation services. Tho dcmoralz-
ing effects Of this practice are FAR
reaching. Bribery OF this ChlraGt"r ~
effectively reached under existing laws.
On IL" subject Of equipment SIMPLY.
the commission declared that white the
shortage could be unlimited by car
conservation and Increased efficiency.
The only permanent solution "a' sub
stantial additions 70 equipment. The
latest general statistics Of th'' commits
sion showed that the railroads undcr
liz Jurisdiction owned approximately g.
.SS %7o frrirht cars While AN additional
l4n ono cars ware oTn"d privately. Tn"
fright cars wcr" divided n" follows:
1.O6e. $50 box cars. l.p0".N75 open tor
cars. lOT.Seo flat cars. S$."oo cars 6n:oo
r~friscrator cars and $4,000 cars or
miscellaneous types.
Despite the shortag" or equipment
enumerated by the commission, II show
cd tina, the volun" Of freight Carried
during the first seven month OF 1870
exceeded BY III per cent the frcl ght
traffic for the corresponding period in
1919. Freight traffic as n whole for the
last scvrn months also WAS said by tnH
commission to hc in excess or that OF
the entire year or 1919.
While the traffic has Increased. tho
commits sion's figures show. the net on
Grating income has suffered 4 contlnu-
Gus DECLINE since 1917. The commission
attributed this 10 heavier maintenance
costs In which war taxation figured. IL.
complete statistics, however, made n
Impossible for tho commission to ofte-
accurate comrarison between the years
1917 and 1920. and It made no attempt
To estimate tho figures for any portion
OF tho year.
The commissions areId'n table dis
closes that 6.495 persons rrre killed by
trains or IN train service accidents dur
ing the wear Of 1919. OF these. l.7S4 or
moro than 81 per cent met death In
grade crossing accidents.
No one IS so utterly deso!atc hat