Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-09
UrGES IMMEDIATE
PAYMENT TO ROADS
l. G. c. Says Carriers Should be
Reimbursed That They May
Give Better Service.
BY AkspciaSc Scd Press 10 Every Evening

by kkSpCtA tcd Profs 90 II very fNeninV-
Washington, Dec. 9.-Immediate pay
mont To the railroads. of sums due them
under the guaranty provisions OF the
TrSDsportat tion Act but withheld under the
ruling of the comptroller of the Treasury
was declared by the. Interstate Commerce
Commission in it's annual report today
to be vital ." in order that the
carriers may properly serve the public
The commission recommended that Con-
urc<s amend tho Railroad Act to permit
the release and payment to the roads of
the money thus tied up.
Many of the railroads are handicapped
because OF their inability to collect the
guaranty, the commission eaid. Although
advances against the anticipated deficit
were msde In scores of Instances, the re-
port SAID some of the roads made no ap-
plicati0n for aid prior to September ana
ss a result they are stopped from clalm-
ing even n portion of moneys Justly due
them until the mechanical work OF com
pletinc their sldit for the guaranty period
can b, accomplished.
The commission said that In most cases
Il could now determine amounts or parts
of amounts due the carriers, but that It's
Qualifications of these sums TO tho Treas
ury could not be honored by the Treasury
since the comptroller had ruled that such
applications for advances IN ust have been
granted prior to September |. The COM
N nission believed it should be authorized
T. make reasonable estimates" TO allevi-
AZ the difficulties confronting many car
riers IN meeting operating expenses, fixed
charges, etc.
The wears rail operations hsve develop
ei the ed of several other changes IN
laws the commission said. IL urged Con-
Al (
Act TO provide for the punishment of any
person offering or giving to sn employed
of = carrier subject to the act any money
or thing of value with intent 70 influence
nus action or decision with respect 70 car
service and also 10 provide for the punish
nneDt of the guilty employe.
Appropriate legislation governing the
transportation Of explosives was asked rs
were changes in laws affecting the award
ing Of reparatious for damages which, the
commission held. should be a matter en-
tirely for the adjudication Of courts.
The menace of wooden passenger
coaches was set forth as another subject
for legislative action, the commission
urging that the roads be compelled to use
steel cars in ali passenger train service and
prohibited from using wooden cars be-
tween or In front Of steel coaches.
railroad employees. the commission SAID
"As 4 result Of the inadeQuacy Of the
car supply and of railroad transportation
facilities generally during the past year, =
practice has grown UP among shippers q
hribing operating employees q railroad
companies in order to obtain transporta-
ton services The demOralzng effects 0f /
this practice are far-reaching Bribery /
of this character in many instances can not /
be directly and effectively reached under I
existing laws
On the subject Of equipment supply. the /
commission declared that while the short /
ase could be minimiezd by car conscrva-
ton and increased efficiency, the only I
permanent solution was substantial addi- +
tlons 70 equipment. The latest general /
statistic. Of the commission showed that /
the railroads under its jurisdiction owned 4
APPROXIMATELY 2,36s $40 freight cars while I
an additional 10000 cars were owned /
privately The freight cars were divided /
=. follows. / .062. $50 box cars, 009, ,S15
open top cars 107 $50 fiat cars. s. 900
stock cars. 90 200 refrigerator cars and
$4,000 car. Of miscellaneous types
Despite the shortage Of equipment
.uurrnerated BY the commission. il showed
that the volume Of freight carried during
he first seven months Of 1920 exceeded by
Ill per cent the freight traffic for the
corresponding period IN 1919. Freight
traffic as whole for the last seven months
also was said by the commission to be ii
excess of that OF the entire year Of 1919.
While the traffic has increased, the com
MISSIONS figures show, the net operating
income mas suf cred continuous decline
since 1917 The commission attributed
this to heavier maintenance costs ID which
war taxation figured. Incomplete stats
tics, however, made II impossible for the