Show RAILROADS COAL TRAFFIC SLUMP all transportation afis loading from the coal fields or reforested re forested in the movement of fuel report a marked falling off in coal traffic as tho result of an early spring last year at this time and in fact every preceding year eoal was moving in great quantities the warm weather of march and in april has caused a sudden cessation of the coal movement this will haie a corresponding effect upon march earnings unless merchandise freight and other classes increased sufficiently to mako up the deficiency one line yesterday reported a heavy movement of merchandise there is a general shortage of all classes of equipment excepting coal cars cincinnati commercial tribune RAILROAD ACCIDENTS railway engineers and operating experts are charging that the greed of the steel trust and othar manufacturing corporations is the most fruitful source of accidents on american rail ways this greed is said by chicago dispatch to hae iel to cameles ca reles inefficient and less expend vo methods of manufacturing and the consequent production of detective rails a practice which Is increasing every year bringing death and injury to thousand and destroying millions of dollars worth of property and reproach upon alie railroad management these charged against the rail manufacturers of the country are intended to servo as an answer to tho recent criticisms of the interstate commerce commission on the steadily increasing number ol 01 casualties occurring on american railroads and their enormously higher percentage when compared with the casualties resulting from the operation of railroads in the british isles and on the continent of eusope tho force of abo charges is minimized however by the failure to compare the accidents occurring on american railways now gli defective rails and those which took place in former years before the steel was organized and the alleged period of inordinate greed biake out among the rail manu facture is of the country without such a comparative showing it Is impossible for any disinterested person to determine whether the accusation against the rail manufacturers and steel trust Is jut or otherwise it should be boino n mind also that the railroad manage have been increasing the size and weight of their locomotives and cars in order to increase the carrying capacity and the revenues of their lines and it is barely possible that the more recently manufactured rails although heavier than those with alie tracks were formerly equipped han been overloaded if this has happened the responsibility for the increasing number of railroad accidents must baill remain with the railroad management and continue to be chargeable to the saeed of these eions rather than to that of the rail aBc isoo chronicle |