, 1922-12-07
ACTIVITIES OF
|. c. c. ENLARGED
IN LAST YEAR
Legislation of Recent
Years Is Increasing
Responsibilities.

WASHINGTON. Dec. An In
creased scope OF activities. due par
tally to enlarged responsibility put
upon It by legislation OF recent years
and partially 10 use Of emergency
powers required by industrial disturb
ances in recent months. were describ-
ed today in the annual report OF the
Interstate Commerce Commission
Together with its usual work in reg
ulation Of railroad rates and service.
the commission reviswed operations
by which 81 assumed some degree OF
actual control OF railroads during the
rmmsr period Of emergency occa-
stoned by the double strike in the coal
mines and in the railroad shops; pre-
scented summaries Of results In Its
supervision OF railroad securities; and
forecast the outlook for n n
elGsion OF the p~rotracted settlements
Of financial accounts between tho
government and the railroads arising
out of the federal control during the
war.
Its major action In the rate fixing
field. the report said. was tho ten
per cent reduction in freight charges
ordered last July.
'Manifestly. the existing rates are
no longer interfering with the free
flow OF as a whole" the re-
port said. 1.-THE tonnage moving has
been steadily increasing In recent
months. Little opportunity has been
afforded for determination OF the
effect Of the reduced rate level upon
the net earnings OF carriers because
of freight cstgestion and other alb
normal conditions which nave result
ed from the coal strike. the shop
mems strike. and other causes"
The report reviewed how n com
mission. to meet the "menacing do
mestio and industrial consequences 81
the strikes" had put priority orders
into effect, and cooperated with the
emergency organization OF the federal
fuel distribution oefice. Though con-
d;tions OF disrepair of equipment
grew most serious on some import
ant trunk lines" before the strikes
wore out. It was said. the commission
had not found 1t necessary to lay en-
harEoes. or resort to the more ex-
IRENE OF measures which congress
legnlized while the danger was great
est.
In its more traditional field, tha
regulation of rates and service. the
commission was enabled during the
year TO reach a basis OF cooperative
understanding with state commits
sions and regulative bodies. the report
said. and for the plan devised. hope
of ultimate success was expressed. 1t
had also moved TO require experiment
al installation Of automatic train con-
troll systems by a large number OF
railroads. for accident prevention.
and had laid the basis for compare
( v studies of efficiency in railroad
operation.
Control OF railroad security issues.
vested in the commission. resulted in
its approval during the year of stocks
and bonds having a total par valua-
lion of sss9, 71s.710. with some addi-
tional issues having no par value. or
a value Expressed in foreign curren-
o,es. The Illinois Central and Chesa-
peake & Ohio railroads. the commits.
sion said. had given encouraging In
dications" in the field OF railroad fin
ande by demonstrating shat new cap
itai could be secured for their expan-
eions by issuance Of stock, instead Of
by increases OF bond indebtedness.
Discussing the reimbursement OF