"Conditions that are likely to cause a heavy demand for, The and a rapid reduction in the supply of, cars exist. amount of traffic handled varies greatly during different parts of the year. During about eight months there usually are large car surpluses. During about four months, beginning around October 1, there are apt to be shortages. This is owing chiefly to the fact that that is the season of heaviest crop movement. Now, the crop prospects in the west this year are unusually good. That helps to make the prospect of a car shortage unusually bad. "The railway managements are doing and will do everything that they can to provide for satisfactory handling of the traffic. Their net earnings per mile were less in the fiscal year 1911 than they were in 1910, and they were less in 1912 than they were in 1911. Meantime, in 1912. their taxes were increased over 1911 and in 1911 they increased over 1910. These developments, both of them impairing the managers' ability to maintain and develop the properties, have prevented, and are still preventing, them from buying the equipment and making the other improvements that conditions demand. The situation apparently confronting us is precisely what the managers repeatedly during recent years have predicted would come if the present policy of regulation were not changed. Nevertheless, hampered though they have been, they have made numerous improvements in plants and operating methods. For some years the purchases of equipment were relatively small, but recently they have substantially increased. "The managers, however, cannot do everything. If the bad situation now threatening is to be averted, they must have the hearty support and co-operation of the shippers and consignees of the country. The shippers and consignees can give such support and co-operation in at least two ways: "1. By moving all the lumber, coal, cement, and other freight that they can within the next few weeks, instead of delaying and throwing it all on the railways when they are staggering under the crop movement. Mr. Frank T. Bentley, traffic manager of the Illinois Steel Company, and the Indiana Steel Company, anticipating a car shortage, this fall, recently issued an appeal and warning to all patrons of these companies to place their orders for cement and other commodities early. Much might be gained if the traffic managers of all the large industrial concerns of the country would follow Mr. Bentley's example and their patrons would act on the advice given. The commercial organizations of the cities and towns can help greatly by urging their members to move all goods as early as possible. "2. Shippers and consignees can greatly help themselves, the railways and all other shippers and consignees by loading and unloading all cars delivered to them as expeditiously as practicable. Every time the loading or unloading of a car is needlessly delayed the available supply of cars is needlessly reduced; and no shipper has any right to complain that he is not furnished enough cars if he is by his own acts needlessly and wrongfully reducing the available supply of cars. Commercial organizations cannot render a better service to their members than by urging on them the need for prompt loading and unloading. Cars are furnished for transportation, not for storage; and every one used for storage reduces the number available for transportation. "3. Shippers can help greatly by loading all cars to as near their capacity as conditions make practicable. "There has been a great deal of talk in recent years about the need for better co-operation between railways and shippers. Here is a matter regarding which they can heartily and energetically co-operate to the very great gain of both." "Safety First" on the Union Pacific and the Oregon Short Line. Among the safety measures which the Union Pacific and the Oregon Short Line have adopted in the last 10 years are auto These safety measures on the Union Pacific, have made a great reduction in the accident record. In the fiscal year 1904 there were 279 train accidents of all kinds; in 1912 there were but 92. The record of the fiscal year 1912 shows 30 per cent. less preventable disasters of all kinds than the fiscal year 1911. As an additional safety measure a "Bureau of Safety" was inaugurated on this road on July 1, last. The bureau comprises a central committee of safety, several division committees of safety, and a district shop committee. The central committee consists of the four assistant general managers, Charles Ware, Charles E. Fuller, R. L. Huntley and W. D. Lincoln and Dr. A. F. Jonas, chief surgeon; F. E. Lewis, superintendent of dining cars and hotels; J. H. Stafford, general store keeper; and S. J. Peterson, general claim agent. These officers are permanent members of the committee. This comittee and the district committees select their chairmen. Each division committee includes the superintendent, the members of his staff, and ten or more employees, each from a different department. The superintendent is the permanent chairman, and the members of his staff are the permanent members of the committee. The other members serve for three months, when they retire in favor of other employees. The purpose in changing the personnel of the committees is to get the benefit of the suggestions of employees in all departments, and as many of them in each department as is possible to obtain. The district committee for the Omaha shops consists of one employee from each of the different branches of shop work and one from the general store. Each committee will meet at least once a month, and special meetings may be called when desired. Minutes are to be kept of the division and district meetings, and reports of any action taken are to be made to the central committee. At the monthly meetings casualties and personal injuries that occur during the preceding month will be reviewed, and suggestions which have been received from the division committees or from other sources will be studied and recommendations as to the prevention of future accidents will be made. Suggestions for increasing safety or preventing accidents which are brought to the attention of the division committees and do not involve changes in standards, or standard practices will be disposed of by the superintendent. Other matters are to be submitted with recommendations to the central committee, where they may either be disposed of by the committee or submitted to Vice-President and General Manager W. B. Scott, with recommendations. The central committee is empowered to secure expert advice on any subject which may require such action. The central committee is to issue and distribute a monthly bulletin summarizing the suggestions adopted and the action taken. Monthly reports are to be made by the division and district committees as to accidents or personal injuries in such form as will show the accidents to employees in the different branches of the service, accompanied by a statement showing the number injured in each department per one thousand work hours. This will furnish a basis of comparison between the divisions. Members of the committees are supplied with a small button to be worn on the coat lapel, and they are requested to retain and wear this button after they have served their term on the committee. A suitable award is to be made each year to the division having the best record for safety. All employees are encouraged to make suggestions toward increasing safety to any member of any committee. On July 1 the Oregon Short Line also inaugurated a safety committee plan. In the bulletin in which it is announced W. H. Bancroft, vice-president and general manager, says, "The idea in this movement is that employees can and should be the controlling factors in preventing injuries in every branch of the service. The keynote of this safety movement is the safety of the employees in the service, and the slogan is that it is 'better to cause a delay than to cause an accident,' and that it actually takes less time to avoid an accident than it does to make out accident reports and explanations about how it occurred and how it could have been prevented. The foremost endeavor of this movement is to apply the remedy before the accident occurs, and not to wait until afterwards, and its constant aim will be to secure greater safety through more rigid inspections and stricter adherence to the rules of the company." To the employees he says: "Letting well enough alone is letting everything alone; and doing nothing is doing the wrong thing. Be careful yourselves, insist upon your fellow workers being careful, call attention to all dangerous conditions and report all those not exercising care or heeding warnings, and accidents will not happen so frequently." Here also there is a central safety committee and a division committee for each division. The personnel of the central committee, which is permanent, is as follows: W. H. Bancroft, vice-president and general manager (chairman); E. C. Manson, assistant general manager; J. F. Dunn, assistant general manager; Carl Stradley, assistant general manager; P. L. Williams, general attorney; F. H. Knickerbocker, assistant general manager; E. M. Bagley, claims attorney; George H. Smith, assistant attorney, and Dr. S. H. Pinkerton, chief surgeon. The methods of making reports and co-operating with the employees and the heads of departments is practically the same on this road as on the Union Pacific. The division committees are empowered to appoint sub-committees to make special reports, as the occasion may demand, and the unit of comparison of division accident records for train and yard employees will be based on accidents per million locomotive miles, and for maintenance of way and shop employees on the man hour basis. MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS. The following list gives names of secretaries, dates of next or regular meetings, and places of meeting. AIR BRAKE ASSOCIATION.-F. M. Nellis, 53 State St., Boston, Mass. Con- AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL PASSENGER AND TICKET AGENTS.-W. C. AMERICAN RAILWAY BRIDGE AND BUILDING ASSOCIATION.-C. A. Lichty, C. & AMERICAN RAILWAY TOOL FOREMEN'S ASSOCIATION.-M. H. Bray, N. Y. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS.-Prof. E. Marburg, University AMERICAN WOOD PRESERVERS' ASSOCIATION.-F. J. Angier, B. & O., Balti- CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.-Clement H. McLeod, 413 Dor- ENGINEERS' SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA.-E. R. Dasher, Box 704, Harrisburg, INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY GENERAL FOREMEN'S ASSOCIATION.-L. H. Bryan, Brown Marx building, Birmingham, Ala. INTERNATIONAL RAILROAD MASTER BLACKSMITHS' ASSOCIATION.-A. L. Woodworth, Lima, Ohio. Convention, August 20, Chicago. MAINTENANCE OF WAY MASTER PAINTERS' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED MASTER BOILER MAKERS' ASSOCIATION.-Harry D. Vought, 95 Liberty St., NATIONAL RAILWAY APPLIANCES ASSOC.-Bruce V. Crandall, 537 So. Dear- PEORIA ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD OFFICERS.-M. W. Rotchford, Union Station, Peoria, Ill.; 2d Tuesday. RAILROAD CLUB OF KANSAS CITY.-C. Manlove, 1008 Walnut St., Kansas RAILWAY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.-Frank W. Noxon, 2 Rector St., New RAILWAY STOREKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.-J. P. Murphy, Box C, Collinwood, Ohio. RAILWAY SUPPLY MANUFACTURERS' ASSOC.-J. D. Conway, 2135 Oliver bldg., ROADMASTERS' AND MAINTENANCE OF WAY ASSOCIATION.-L. C. Ryan, C. & ST. LOUIS RAILWAY CLUB.-B. W. Fraumenthal, Union Station, St. Louis, TRAFFIC CLUB OF CHICAGO.-Guy S. McCabe, La Salle Hotel, Chicago; meetings monthly, Chicago. TRAFFIC CLUB OF NEW YORK.-C. A. Swope, 290 Broadway, New York; last Tuesday in month, except June, July and August, New York. TRAFFIC CLUB OF PITTSBURGH.-D. L. Wells, Erie, Pittsburgh, Pa.; meetings monthly, Pittsburgh. TRAIN DESPATCHERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.-J. F. Mackie, 7042 Stewart Ave., Chicago. TRANSPORTATION CLUB OF BUFFALO.-J. M. Sells, Buffalo; first Saturday after first Wednesday. TRANSPORTATION CLUB OF DETROIT.-W. R. Hurley, L. S. & M. S., Detroit, TRAVELING ENGINEERS' ASSOCIATION.-W. O. Thompson, N. Y. C. & H. R., Traffic News, The Canadian railway commission has completed its series of hearings concerning freight rates in western Canada, having, during the past month, held sittings in eight of the leading cities and listened to 95 complaints. The railways will be called upon to make reply at Ottawa in October. Albert Snyder has been appointed manager of the Western Massachusetts Traffic Bureau, Springfield, Mass., which is connected with the Springfield board of trade. Mr. Snyder was formerly and for many years in the freight department of the New York, New Haven & Hartford and other railways. The Georgia Southern & Florida is this week running an agricultural instruction train, covering the same territory that was traversed by the similar train two months ago. An effort will be made to promote the organization of a truckgrowers' association and to show the advantage of shipping fruit and vegetables in carloads. The Western Maryland is now running freight trains over its new extension to Connellsville, Pa. This connection establishes a new through line from Chicago to tidewater via the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie and the Western Maryland. The traffic possibilities of this line were discussed in the Railway Age Gazette of February 3, 1911, p. 195, and January 28, 1910, p. 173. The Senate on Wednesday agreed with the House in that clause of the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill which abolishes the Commerce Court; so the bill will undoubtedly go to the President in this shape. As this section of the bill now stands, the court will be abolished and the judges will become judges of the Circuit Courts. The vote in the Senate was 30 to 19. The Pennsylvania and other companies operating in the central states have abandoned their decision not to run low rate one-day excursions, and announcements of special rates have been made by several roads. The attorney general of Ohio last week announced that he was going to bring suit against the southwest system of the Pennsylvania-the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis-on the charge that, in agreeing with other roads not to run low priced excursions, the P. C. C. & St. L. had violated the law of Ohio. One of the changes which are now being discussed before the Trunk Line Committee at New York is the changing of 1. c. 1. shipments of eggs from second-class to first-class. The same change is also proposed for butter and live poultry. It is claimed by some of the traffic men of the railways that if it were possible they would like to refuse to carry eggs in 1. c. 1. lots entirely. They say that consignees refuse to receive shipments on the slightest pretext and the railway has no course left open but to sell the eggs at the best price it can get and pay the claims. The hearings on the changes in classi fication will last, it is expected, for several weeks. The Chicago Great Western on August 4, adopted a new timetable which practically restores the passenger service in effect during the summer of 1911. Train No. 3 will leave Chicago at 8:45 a. m., arriving at Minneapolis at 10:45 p. m., and the southbound train, No. 4, leaves Minneapolis at 8 a. m., arriving in Chicago at 9:55 p. m. Between Kansas City and St. Paul and Minneapolis a reduction of one hour and twenty minutes will be made northbound, the train leaving Kansas City at 11:30 p. m., and arriving at Minneapolis at 8:10 p. m., instead of 9:30, while southbound a reduction of one hour and fifty minutes will be made, the train leaving Minneapolis at 10:20 a. m. instead of 8:30, and arriving at Kansas City at 7:10 a. m. The The Pennsylvania has not given its industrial department much advertising, but the work has been done, all the same. thirteen division freight agents have for years given careful attention to industrial development. Now the company announces that a department head has been appointed, in the person of John H. Whittaker, special agent. His office is at the general freigth department, Broad street station, Philadelphia, and he acts under the direction of the general freight agent. keeps an active list of available buildings and sites and is prepared to furnish full information regarding them. The com He pany has just issued an industrial directory containing a classified list of commodities, names of shippers and receivers at all towns on the road; also directories of wholesale fruit and vegetable dealers, of fruit, vegetable and produce growers and shippers, and one of grain and flour dealers, flour and feed mills, elevators and warehouses, and hay and straw shippers. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. The commission has further suspended, from August 12 until February 12, supplement 2 to Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe tariff advancing coal rates from points in Colorado to stations in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The commission has further suspended, from August 10 until February 10, supplement No. 2 to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul tariff, which advances charges for switching ice, in carloads, at Chicago, and in that vicinity. The commission has suspended until November 30 tariffs filed by railways in Arkansas, Oklahoma and other western states advancing the prices for transportation of corn in the ear. It appears that the advance consisted in changes in the minimum weight to be allowed for a carload. The commission has changed from September 1 to November 1 the date on which oil pipe line companies must comply with its order requiring them to file tariffs. Some of the companies have begun proceedings before the Commerce Court to restrain the enforcement of the commission's order. The commission has suspended, from August 18 until February 18, certain schedules contained in the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh tariff, advancing rates for the transportation of building brick and other articles, in carloads, from Orchard Park, N. Y., and Jewettville, to Canadian points. The commission has vacated its order suspending the advances in the trans-continental rate on mixed carloads of stoves containing cast iron or steel ranges with gas stove attachments. These advances were cancelled by the carriers, effective July 22, 1912, and the commission has, therefore, vacated its orders of suspension. Complaint Dismissed. H. Lesinsky Co. v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe et al. Opinion by the commission: The commission found that the rate of $1.46 per 100 lbs. on cheese in carloads from Plymouth, Wis., to El Paso, Tex., was not unreasonable. (24 I. C. C., 620.) Asbury Smith Logsdon v. Illinois Central et al. Opinion by the commission: The complainant contended that the rate of $4.85 per ton on shipments of coal from Marissa, Ill., to Fort Worth, Tex., when loaded in open cars, was unreasonable to the extent that it exceeds $3.15 per ton. The commission found that the present rate was not shown to be unreasonable. (24 I. C. C., 624.) Joint Tariffs Restored. Laona & Northern v. Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie. Opinion by Chairman Prouty: Defendant should reinstate the joint tariffs which existed with complainant carrier prior to May 1, 1910, but under the circumstances of this case the complainant's divisions ought not to exceed 12 cents per 100 lbs. on lumber and mill products. (24 I. C. C., 639.) Free Delivery in Washington, D. C. Caesar E. Casassa v. Pennsylvania Railroad et al. Opinion by the commission: Complainant alleges that it and other manufacturers located on Fourteenth street, northwest. between Florida avenue and Park road in Washington are discriminated against in favor of the merchants located in that part of the city known as Georgetown, because the defendants deliver free of charge certain classes of freight in less than carload lots to merchants located in the latter section, but refuse to grant like free delivery to merchants located in the former section. The commission found that this practice resulted in discrimination against the mer chants on Fourteenth street and ordered that in future the merchants in these two localities should be placed on an equal basis. (24 I. C. C., 629.) Joint Through Arrangements Restored. Chippewa Valley & Northern v. Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie. Opinion by Chairman Prouty: Defendant should resume the joint through arrangements which existed with complainant carrier prior to May 1, 1910, and restore the tariffs which were canceled; but divisions allowed complainant should not exceed 12 cents per 100 lbs. (24 I. C. C., 634.) Misrouting Caused No Damage. Lathrop, Shea, Henwood Company v. Lehigh Valley et al. Opinion by the commisison: The complainant contended that its shipments from Egypt, Pa., to Campbell Hall, N. Y., were misrouted by the defendant, and that the rate of $1.75 per ton charged it was unreasonable to the extent that it exceeds 99 cents per ton, which would have been charged had the routing instructions been followed. The complainant had a contract with the Erie & Jersey Railroad to do some construction work at Campbell Hall, and in the contract the railway agreed to assume all freight charges paid by, the complainant in excess of 3 mills per ton per mile for the transportation over the Erie, provided that the shipments to Campbell Hall were prepaid. The commission could not find who was responsible for the failure to carry out the routing instructions, but found that the shipments were not prepaid, and that, therefore, the complainant would have had to assume the total transportation charges, which would have amounted to $2.05 per ton. As the complainant was not damaged by the misrouting of the shipments, reparation was not awarded. (24 I. C. C., 622.) Shipment Not Misquoted. Paine Lumber Company v. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis et al. Opinion by the commission: The complainant contended that an unreasonable rate was charged it on a shipment of doors from Cleveland, Ohio, to Oshkosh, Wis. Reparation was asked. The complainant had directed that the shipment should go over two specific lines. Two routes were available over these. The joint through rate over both routes was 30 cents per 100 lbs. The combination of intermediate rates over one of the routes was 331⁄2 cents per 100 lbs., and over the other route, 241⁄2 cents per 100 lbs. The joint through rate over this latter route has subsequently been reduced to 242 cents per 100 lbs. The shipment moved at the joint through rate over the route on which the sum of the intermediate rates was 331⁄2 cents per 100 lbs. The complainant contended that the shipment was misrouted on the ground that had it moved over the other route a basis for reparation would have existed. The commission found that as the shipment was forwarded in accordance with the routing instructions and as the rate at the time of movement was the same over both routes, the initial carrier did not misroute the shipment. No evidence was offered tending to prove that the 301⁄2 cent rate charged was an unreasonable one when applied to the route over which the sum of the local rates exceeded the joint through rate, and the circumstance that via the other route a combination rate lower than 30 cents was in effect is not sufficient to establish the unreasonableness of the 301⁄2 cent rate. plaint was dismissed. (23 I. C. C., 626.) Articles Lost by Carriers. The com Larkin Company v. Erie & Western Transportation Company et al. Opinion by the commission: Defendants failed to deliver at destination a pedestal weighing 26 lbs., which formed part of a shipment weighing 215 lbs. Complainant shipped a pedestal to replace that lost by defendants and was charged therefor the first-class rate of 56 cents per 100 lbs. Defendants refused to refund the freight charges on the second shipment, but offered a pro rata share of the charges on the first shipment. The commission found that the rules, regulations, and practices of the principal defendant, which exacted of complainant 40 cents for no fault of its own, simply because of the application of the rules and practices themselves, were unreasonable, unjust, discriminatory, and un lawful. In so far as a bill of lading establishes a rule, regulation, or practice of transportation, which to every intent is obligatory upon the shipper, the commission has jurisdiction over its provisions. Reparation was awarded. (24 I. C. C., 645.) Sale of Round-Trip Tickets on Trains. Charles A. Ford et al. v. Washington-Virginia. Opinion by the commission: A rule of the defendant which prohibits the sale on its trains of round-trip tickets to interstate passengers from its station in Washington, D. C., where such tickets are kept on sale, not found to be unreasonable or unduly discriminatory. Defendant required to accord to passengers boarding the cars at Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in the city of Washington, the same privileges as at other non-agency stations. (24 I. C. C., 632.) STATE COMMISSIONS. The railway commission of Canada has decided to require all railway employees engaged in engine or train service to submit to tests of eyesight and hearing. The Louisiana railway commission has issued an order requiring that station agents be furnished with prompt and accurate information as to the causes of delays of trains and the amount of delay, and that such information shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the bulletin boards, or otherwise furnished to the public. The New York Public Service Commission, first district, has ordered a hearing to determine whether the process of laying bricks in the waterproofing work on the subways is real bricklaying. A complaint was made by the bricklayers' union that the process is bricklaying and that the work should be done by bricklayers at union wages, instead of by other laborers, as is now the case. The New York Public Service Commission, Second district, has been notified by the National Express Company and the Adams Express Company of reductions of from 15 to 44 per cent. in merchandise rates from Cooperstown to various points. These reductions followed a complaint made by the International Milk Products Company of Cooperstown, against the rates on ice cream to various points on the Delaware & Hudson, Ulster & Delaware and other roads. The Louisiana railway commission has issued an order providing that no through freight rates to or from stations in Louisiana shall exceed the lowest combination of mileage rates by less than 10 per cent., provided that when specific class or commodity rates applying to or from junction points result in making a lower through rate without a deduction of 10 per cent., such combination will apply. The commission has also issued an order providing that carload shipments moving over two or more track scales shall be weighed by the carrier at the first track scales passed over and the weight thus found shall be the weight upon which freight charges shall be assessed. In case of a dispute as to the correctness of the weight carriers shall reweigh the car on track scales at the point of destination, on demand of the consignee, and the freight bill shall be corrected to conform to the last weight. Where the second weighing shows a variation of over 1 per cent. from the first weight no charge shall be made by the carrier for the reweighing. When the second weighing does not show a variation of 1 per cent. the carrier shall charge $2.50 for each car reweighed. If an additional day is required for the reweighing the consignee is to be allowed one day additional free time. COURT NEWS. In the state court at Breckenridge, Colorado, July 31, Judge Rizer handed down a decision sustaining the order of the state railway commission which requires the Colorado & Southern to run a passenger train between Leadville and Denver daily, except Sunday, and a freight train three times a week. The railway company abandoned the operation of its line over Boreas Pass because, on account of the construction of other lines, the operation of that one had become unprofitable; but both the commission and the court hold that the company cannot abandon a part of its road and continue operation of another part. 34,412 24,893 54,443 5,306 9,802,137 191,508 1,353,605 733,486 2,475,776 4,380,050 3,687 -105,720 75,231 18,370 12,264 457,675 8,781 120,000 7,534 36,175 2,694 219,260 563,083 9,800 -115,673 51,152 2,234,872 -145,040 901 206,141 106,772 45,087 1,056,055 285,468 98,889 11,563 151,983 32,815 12,470 -41,305 401,758 49,268 352,490 -24,620 872,904 1,406 31,000 840,498 205,839 1,092,252 1,136 8,120 128,552 467 111,991 76,219 962,564 8,195 7,435 217,161 114,320 125,784 24 1,663; 25 395; 20 1,180; 1,805; 28 324; 29 3,591; 30 2,004; at 469; 32 296; 31,416; 34 3,977; 35 1,468. 4,498; 4,434; 573; 57,743; 341; 72,051; 8471; 97,551; 10 1,744; 11 246; 12 1,979; 13 819; 14 2,567; 15 360; 16 263; 17 317; 18612; 19 832; 20 583; 21 587; 22 109; Indicates Deficits, Losses and Decreases. 86,741 35,789 11,528 75,213 5,600 30,189 |