Electrical Testing. The laboratory equipment for electrical testing and for portable service testing has been extended during the year by the addition of rotating standards and graphic recording meters.

Gas Testing. More than the usual number of tests of the quality of gas was made throughout the State by reason of the increased complaints resulting from the falling off in the service rendered under the conditions maintaining during the year.

A change in the program of gas testing in the Commission's laboratory was made beginning in November to provide a greater number of daily tests upon which to base the monthly average of the total heating value of the city gas.

III. GRADE CROSSINGS

Reports were made from time to time on grade crossings as complaint or necessity arose for more adequate protection. The most important of these were several crossings in the vicinity of the United States Proving Ground at Aberdeen; the crossing at Severn near Camp Meade on the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad; the crossing of the Maryland Electric Railways at Bush Street, Baltimore; the crossing of The United Railways and Electric Company at D Street, Sparrows Point, with the Sparrows Point Railroad, also one on Belvidere Avenue with the Western Maryland Railroad. Suitable protective devices were installed upon recommendation, those in the latter case now being under construction.

IV. CHANGES IN ENGINEERING STAFF

It is with sincere regret that there is to be recorded the death of Mr. Charles E. Phelps, Jr., who had served the Commission as Chief

Engineer since its organization. Mr. Phelps died December 23, 1918, after a brief illness, of pneumonia.

Two employees of this Department left to enlist in the service of their country-H. C. Ward, Inspector of Gas, and H. C. Nuttle. Their successors are, respectively, Stanley H. Hays, Inspector of Gas, qualified July 22, and Thomas S. Shaw, qualified August 5, 1918.

I beg to submit herewith the report of your Transportation Department for the year 1918.

During the year 268 formal reports have been made to the Commission. We have, however, been in constant touch with the various transportation officials regarding informal reports, as well as results of observations by myself and inspectors of the department. During the year I have inspected the service and equipment of the various lines throughout the State, such as the Cumberland Electric Railway; Hagerstown and Frederick Railway; lines in the State of Maryland in and out of the District of Columbia; Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad; Annapolis Short Line; Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway; Chesapeake Beach Railway; and others. The current year has been an unusual one, due to the war conditions. Transportation facilities were greatly impaired and interfered with during the year on account of the shortage of men and material, which caused a decrease in operating facilities compared with the very heavy increase in business. These conditions are improving, and should improve from now on. Better and more adequate service can be expected and demanded.

In Baltimore the street car service has been anything but good during the year, but these conditions are improving, and should improve more rapidly from now on. The company has been making a study for the purpose of rerouting a number of its lines, and during the year has rerouted the cars on seven important lines, namely: Carey Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, Druid Hill Avenue, York and Frederick Roads, Roland Park-Boulevard, Garrison Boulevard and Federal Street-Columbia Avenue lines. The rerouting of these lines, while objected to by some patrons of the company, should, in the end,

be a great benefit to the majority, as it will afford better time and avoid a certain amount of congestion on the principal streets of the city.

During the year the Transportation Department was represented at thirty inquests or investigations of casualties, with the view of recommending methods or plans that would avoid loss of life and personal injury.

ACCIDENTS

A comparative summary of the total number of accidents to persons during the last eight years is submitted below, the accidents being tabulated as between those occurring on steam railroads and electric railways:

Out of the above total accidents to persons, those which occurred at grade crossings for each year during the last eight years are as follows:

Those accidents to persons trespassing upon railroad property have been segregated, and are as follows:

FATALITIES AND INJURIES DUE TO TRESPASSING UPON RAILROADS— COMPARISON BY YEARS

Totals..

99082945

12 15

297 212 128 163 65 178 67 46 72 83 629 682

1744232

6467246150

10

9

5

9

6

10

10

13

5 108

102

98 85

93 156

77 136

4:

57 36

49 41

For the year 1918 this department issued permits for the operation of motor vehicles for the public transportation of passengers and freight, as follows:

The work of this department has been kept up to date, and it is a pleasure to commend the work of the employees of the department. Respectfully submitted,

The report of the Rate Department of the Commission upon its work during the current year is submitted herewith.

The year just ending has wrought many changes in the matter of rate regulation, particularly with respect to common carriers. Late in the year 1917 the President of the United States issued a proclamation taking over the control of the railroads throughout the country and appointed a Director General of Railroads to operate same. Section 10 of the Act of Congress of March 21, 1918, provides that during the period of Federal control the President may, whenever in his opinion the public interest requires, initiate rates, fares, charges and classifications, regulations and practices by filing the same with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Acting under authority of the Act aforesaid the President has, through the agency of the Director General of Railroads, upon several occasions exercised the power to change rates, the most notable instance being in the case of General Order No. 28 issued under date of May 25, 1918. The effect of this order was to substantially increase the freight rates and passenger fares of all of the railroads under Federal control, which control embraces practically all of the important railroads operating within the State of Maryland. As by the Act of Congress above referred to the rates initiated by the President are required to be filed only with the Interstate Commerce Commission, and as such rates affecting Maryland intrastate traffic are not filed with the Public Service Commission of Maryland, the effect has been to seriously interfere with the usefulness and integrity of the Commission's railroad tariff files.