The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-12-09
REPORT OF INTERSTATE
COMMERCE COMMISSION
ASSOCIATED Pressn

Washington, Dec. 9Llmmedlate
payment to the railroads of sums due
them under the guaranty provisions
of the transportation act but withheld
under the ruling of the comptroller of
the treasury was declared by the In
terstate Commerce Commission in its
annual report today TO be ''vital :
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 e'oads are greatly han
dicapped 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 application
for aid prior to September and as a
result they are estopped from claim
ing even a portion of moneys "justly
due them" until the mechanical work
of completing their audit for the en-
tire guaranty period can be accom-
plished.
The commission said that in most
cases it could now determine amounts
or parts of amounts due the carriers" /"
but that it's certifcations of these
sums TO the treasury could not be
honored by the treasury since the
comptroller had ruled that such appli-
cations for advances must have been
granted prior to September 1. The
commission believed it should be au-
tkorized to make reasonable esti-
mates" to alleviate the difficulties con-
fronting 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 in
terstate commerce act to provide for
the punishment of any person "offer-
ing or giving to an employe of a car
rier subject to the act any money or
think of value with intent to inf1u-
ence his action or decision with re-
spect to car service and also to pro-
vide the punishment of the guilty
employee"
Appropriate legislation governing
the transportation of explosives was
asked as were changes in laws affect
ing the awarding of reparations for
damages which. the commission held,
should be a matter entirely for the
adjudication of courts.
The menace of wooden passenger
coaches was set forth as another sub
ject for legislation action, the COM
mission 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
front of steel coaches.
Referring to the question of bribery
cf railroad employees, the commission
said:
Gas 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 of bribing operat-
ing employees of railroad companies
in order to obtain transportation ser.
vices. The demoralizing effects OF
this practice are far-reaching. Brib.
cry of this character in many in.
stances can not be directly and effec
lively reached under existing laws"
On the subject of equipment supply
the commission declared that Will,
| the shortage could be minimized b,
car conservation and increased effic
lency, the only permanent solution
was substantial additions to equip
ment. The latest general statistics o.
the commission shower that the rail
roads under its jurisdiction owned ap
proximately 2,368,87O freight car,
while an additional 100000 cars wer,
owned privately. The freight car
were divided as follows: 1852 $50 bo.
cars, 1,009, ,875 open top cars, lot ,82u
fiat cars. $4,000 stock cars, $4,000 re
frigerator cars and $4,000 cars of mis-
eellaneous types.
Despite the shortage of equipmen
enumerated by the commission,
showed that the volume of freight car
ried during the first seven months o
1920 exceeded by IT. per cent tn
freight traffic for the corresponding
period in 1919. Freight traffic as
lWhole for the last seven months ais