3687. Classification of meats packed in glass, less than carloads, as compared with classification of meats packed in tin cans, less than carloads. 3688. Damage caused by misrouting of a shipment of lumber from Alcolu, S. C., to Paterson, N. J. 3689. Excessive charge on shipment of cereal food from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Lexington, Ky., as compared with rate on same commodity from Battle Creek, Mich., to Cincinnati, Ohio. 3690. Discrimination in rates on wire and nails from Cairo, Ill., to Senath, Mo., as compared with rates from Memphis, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo., to same point of destination. 3691. Inability to obtain cars upon the Springfield, Ill., division of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company for shipments of grain. 3692. Overcharge in the sale of four passenger tickets from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Tyler, Tex. 3693. Illegal switching charges imposed by the Texas and Pacific Railway Company at Fort Worth, Tex., and Mansfield, La. 3694. Excessive rate on crude or fuel oil from New Orleans, La., to Birmingham, Ala., and other points in that territory as compared with rates to Ohio River points and points north thereof. 3695. Overcharge on 1 box of buckwheat and 1 barrel of flour shipped from Martinsburg, W. Va., to Sumter, S. C. 3696. Failure to furnish car for shipment of shingles at Cuba, Ala. 3697. Damages caused by refusal of Southern Pacific Company to carry out routing instructions on shipments of lumber from points in Louisiana to Pittsburg, Pa., and Paterson, N. J. 3698. Overcharge on shipment of 100 bags of coffee from New York, N. Y., to Americus, Ga. 3699. Overcharge on round-trip excursion ticket from Albuquerque, N. Mex., to Denver, Colo., and return, account of G. A. R. encampment. 3700. Overcharge on shipment of oil from Struthers, Pa., to Minetto, N. Y. 3701. Damage caused by delay on car of machinery shipped from Indianapolis, Ind., to Greensboro, N. C. 3702. Higher rate on buggies, carloads, from South Bend and Connersville, Ind., to Meridian, Miss., than to New Orleans, La. 3703. Excessive charges on one old dynamo from Marietta, Ohio, to Cleveland, Ohio. 3704. Refusal of Illinois Central Railroad to receive shipments of liquor at Hermann, Mo., for Port Tampa, Fla., unless routed all rail. 3705. Higher rates charged on hay from Ashland, Ohio, to Chester, Centralia, and Dunlop, Va., than to Petersburg and Richmond, Va. 3706. Overcharge on one car of lumber shipped from Ansley, La., to Gayville, S. Dak. 3707. Excessive rate charged on one car of straw shipped from Mount Crawford, Va., to Paoli, Pa. 3708. Failure of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company to furnish cars for shipments of coal. 3709. Damage caused by delay in shipment of oil from North Clarendon, Pa., to Buffalo, N. Y. 3710. Excessive rate on vaseline, carloads, from Karns City, Pa., to Wichita, Kans. 3711. Excessive rates from Fayetteville, Ark., to Magdalena, N. Mex., and Burden, Kans., as compared with the rates from St. Louis, Mo., to same points. 3712. Excessive rate on scrap iron, carloads, from Clinton, Ill., to Fort Wayne, Ind., as compared with rate on same commodity from Decatur and Peoria, Ill., to same point of destination. 3713. Discrimination in domestic rates on burlap bags from New York, N. Y., to Chicago, as compared with rates applicable to imported burlaps from and to same points. 3714. Overcharge on carload shipment of lumber, on account of car not holding the prescribed minimum adopted by transportation companies. 3715. Overcharge on one car of hay shipped from Pleasant Plain, Ohio, to Wilmington, N.C. 3716. Higher rate charged by the New York and Pennsylvania Railroad on freight to Oswayo, Pa., than to a point 16 miles farther distant on same line. 3717. Excessive rates on live stock from Chicago, Ill., to Marion, Galion, Bucyrus, and Monette, Ohio, and to Buffalo and to New York, N. Y. 3718. Excessive charges on two tanks of oil returned from Memphis, Tenn., to Marietta, Ohio. 3719. Overcharge on one car of screens from Winooski, Vt., to Lynchburg, Va. 3720. Excessive charge on shipment of 5 barrels of lubricating oil from Philadelphia, Pa., to Hartford, Conn. 3721. Excessive rate on lumber from Fayetteville, Ark., to Cody, Wyo., as compared with rate on same commodity from same point of shipment to Spokane, Wash. 3722. Excessive charge on shipment of 5 barrels of lubricating oil from Philadelphia, Pa., to Hartford, Conn. 3723. Loss of coal in transit from Ocean, Md., to Grandin, Mo. 3724. Higher rates charged by the Southern Railway on staves and heading than on shingles from Wilmington, N. C., to New York, N. Y.; also from Chase City, Va., and Waynesville, N. C., to same destination. 3725. Unreasonable charge by the Pullman Palace Car Company for sleeper from Kansas City, Mo., to Lamar, Colo. 3726. Excessive rates charged on cotton-seed meal from Rome, Ga., to Farrell, Ala., as compared with rates on same commodity from Rome to Early, Ga. SAFETY APPLIANCES. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SAFETY APPLIANCES TO THE SECRETARY. Hon. EDWARD A. MOSELEY, INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, Washington, D. C., December 1, 1905. Secretary Interstate Commerce Commission. SIR: The accompanying table shows in detail the number of defects in safety appliances on freight cars as reported to the Commission by its inspectors during the four years ending June 30, 1905, 1904, 1903, and 1902. In referring to this tabulation it should be borne in mind that there were 252,361 freight cars inspected during 1905, which is a greater number than in any of the preceding years. But 57,112 or 22.59 per cent of this number had defective safety appliances, and that this is material improvement may be readily seen by referring to the accompanying summary. It is of interest, in order to establish in mind the relationship between the condition of safety appliances and casualties occasioned by defects in that part of railway equipment, to note that the number of men killed and injured while coupling and uncoupling cars has decreased materially during the last yearly period. The remarkable betterment of condition of safety appliances has been brought about largely by favorable court decisions in cases presented for prosecution for violation of the safety-appliance law and by the abolition by railways of agreements to receive cars from connections no matter in what condition their safety appliances might be. These causes, together with the well-defined purpose of many railway managers to better safety-appliance conditions, resulted in the employment of more labor in repair work and the furnishing to the repair department of most railways of an increased amount of repair material. A brief analysis will show that there is a decrease in the number of defects in couplers and parts to the extent of 8 defects per each 1,000 cars examined. In this There is vast improvement in the maintenance of uncoupling mechanism, and this augurs well for the safety of railway employees, as on the uncoupling mechanism rests much of the burden of keeping men from between the ends of cars. connection it is to be hoped that the day is not far distant when men will be relieved from the necessity for going between the ends of cars to couple or uncouple air, signal, or steam hose. The ladder equipment has been well maintained, and a decrease in the number of defects in handholds is noted; but by reason of the fact that many cars are coming into use which are provided with a sill step on but one end, there is an increase of defects under the head "sill steps missing. As the law requires a handhold on both ends of the car, it seems that an accompanying sill step should also be provided. Locomotive equipment has improved, though not to the extent hoped for, but there is reason to believe that next year's inspection will discover a considerable improvement over that of this year. The passenger equipment was in excellent shape, there being but 118 cars defective out of 6,653 inspected. As the order of the Commission requiring that 75 per cent of the brakes in each train be operated by power will be in effect August 1, 1906, it is fair to presume that some additional improvement in the condition of power brake equipment will be noticed in the ensuing year preparatory to compliance with the order. On many of the railways of the country the required 50 per cent has been far below the minimum worked in each train and the policy of using a liberal amount of braking power necessitated the keeping of brake equipment in better condition than in former years. By reason of the greater number of cars inspected, the inclusion of locomotive inspection, air-brake inspection, and work in connection with prosecutions for violation of the law, a greater amount of work has devolved upon the inspection force, and it is apparent that an increase in the number of employees in this division would be of great advantage. Many requests from railways for joint inspection of equipment were of necessity denied owing to lack of inspectors to detail for the work. Respectfully submitted. J. W. WATSON, Chief Inspector. |