The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-09

Commission Also Urges Immediate ray
ment of Guaranty Money to Railroads
-6,495 Killed on Railroads During
Past Year, 1,784 OF Grade Crossings.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-Immediate
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 interstate
commerce commission in its annual re
port today to be vital in order that the
carriers may properly serve the public
The commission recommended that con-
gress 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 handl-
CAPPED because of their inability to col
lect the guaranty. the commission said.
Although advances against the antlcl-
pated deficit were made in scores OF IN
stances. the report said, some OF the
roads made no application for aid PRIOR
to .SpDtpmbPr / and as u result they
are estopped from claiming even a por-
ton of moneys Justly due them until
the mechanical work of completing their
audit for the entire guaranty period can
be accomplished.
L ne COMMISSION Ndlu ludt II AA'HA
cases it could now determine amounts
or parts Of amounts due the carriers,
but that its Qualifications of these sums
to the treasury could not be hOnOred by
the treasury since the comptroller had
ruled that such applications for adj
vanceS must have been granted prior to
.]September /. The commission believed
it should be authorized to make "reas-
enable estimates to alleviate the diff
culties confronting many carriers IN
meeting operating expenses, fixed
charges, etc.
veloped the need of several other
changes in laws. the commission said.
1t urged congress to amend the interstate
commerce act to provide for the pun
ishment of any person offering or Civ
ing to an employee of a carrier subject
to the act any money or thing of value
with intent to influence his action or
decision with respect to car service and
also to provide for the punishment of
the guilty employee
The menace of wooden passenger
coaches was set forth as another sub
iect for legislative action. the commits
sion urging that the roads be compelled
to use steel cars in all passenger train
service and prohibited from using
wooden cars between or in front Of steel
coaches.
Referring to the question of bribery
Of railroad employees, the COMMISSION
said
""As a result of the i~nadequacy of the
car supply and of railroad transporter
ton facilities generally during the past
year. a practice has grown up among
shippers of bribing operating employees
of railroad companies in order to OBJ
tain transportation services. The de
m0ralizing effects of this practice are
far-reaching. Bribery of this char
acter in many instances can not be di-
rcctly and effectively reached under OK
listing laws
While the traffic has increased. the
commissions figures show. the net OPP
Grating income has suffered a continuous
decline since 1917. The commission at
tributed this to heavier maintenance
costs in which war taxation figured.
Incomplete statistics, however, made it
impossible for the commission to offer
accurate comparison between the years
1917 and 1920, and it made no attempt
to estimate the figures for any portion
of the year.
The commissions accident table dis
closes that 6,495 persons were killed by
trains or in train-service accidents dur
ing the year of 1919. OF these. 1884
or more thar p per cent met death in
grade crossing accidents.