1 Includes $17,610 transferred from U. S. Maritime Commission under pt. 3 of the Transportation Act of 1940 and $144,920 covering salaries of employees provided for in the appropriation for motor transport regulation, but assigned to bureaus under this appropriation.

See explanation 1.

This estimate has been increased in an amount to allow for the actual transfer of those employees on the pay roll for motor transport regulation assigned to duties under the appropriation for general administrative expenses.

See explanation 1. Excludes $144,920 transferred to general administrative expenses.

This estimate has been decreased in an amount to allow for the actual transfer of those employees on the pay roll for motor transport regulation assigned to duties under the appropriation for general administrative expenses.

Includes $1,600 transferred from U. S. Maritime Commission under pt. 3 of the Transportation Act of 1940.

As to each appropriation following, in column 1 will be found the actual obligations for the fiscal year 1941, in column 2 the estimated obligations for 1942, and in column 3, the amounts included in the budget estimates for the 1943 fiscal year. General administrative expenses

Includes $141,920 covering salaries of employees provided for in the appropriations for motor transport regulation but assigned to bureaus under this appropriation. *Includes $131,180 transferred from motor transport regulation.

This appropriation is essential for the exercise by the Commission of the powers delegated to it under the general sections of the Interstate Commerce Act. It includes the salaries of the Commissioners and Secretary, and other officers and employees necessary in the execution of the laws to regulate commerce.

In addition to its specific duties under the Interstate Commerce Act, there are duties under other and related acts which the Commission is required to perform upon occasion, but these additional duties are taken care of by the Commission's personnel as a part of their regular work and do not require any additional employees for their performance.

The amount included in the budget estimates for the fiscal year 1943 is $177,072 in excess of that for the fiscal year 1942. This increase is necessary for the following reasons:

number of the employees of the Commission have been carried on the pay roll of the Bureau of Motor Carriers and paid out of the appropriation for motor

transport regulation for some time, but were assigned to different sections under the appropriation for general administrative expenses. It is now proposed to transfer these persons, effective July 1, 1942, to the pay rolls of the respective sections to which assigned and which, as stated, are paid out of the appropriation for general purposes.

The salaries of the personnel referred to, on an annual basis, aggregate $131,180. Administrative promotions under the terms of the Ramspeck bill for the fiscal year 1943, aggregate $45,892.

This appropriation is for the purpose of enforcing compliance with section 20 and other sections of the Interstate Commerce Act, as amended by the Transportation Acts of 1920 and 1940, in respect to uniform accounting systems of carriers and policing carriers accounts. To that end the Commission is given the right of access at all times to all the accounts, records, and memoranda of carriers, and is empowered to employ special agents, accountants, or examiners to inspect and examine any and all accounts, records, and memoranda.

The functions of the Bureau of Accounts are the preparation for promulgation by the Commission of uniform accounting systems for the several classes of carriers subject to the act; the policing of their accounts by periodical examinations for the purpose of insuring compliance with the Commission's account-regulations, and detecting and reporting for appropriate action discriminatory practices and other violations of the act; the administration of the Commission's regulations with respect to depreciation of property of the several classes of carriers specially covered in the 1920 amendment to section 20; accounting examinations necessary in connection with the regulation of security issues of railroads under section 20 (a); special accounting examinations to develop information for the Commission's use in connection with matters on hearings before it or with respect to other matters which seem to the Commission to require investigation; accounting examinations of railroads deemed necessary in the performance of its duties under section 77, chapter VIII, of the Bankruptcy Act of 1898, as amended March 3, 1933, and investigations requested of the Commission by the Congress or committees thereof.

The amount of the budget estimate for 1943 is the same as the appropriation for 1942, except that an amount of $10,072 is added to take care of administrative promotions under the Ramspeck bill.

The primary functions of this Bureau are the enforcement of safety laws and orders issued thereunder, enacted for the purpose of promoting safety of employees and travelers upon railroads.

The safety-appliance laws require the equipment of cars and locomotives with couplers, ladders, running boards, handholds, and other appliances used by employees in operating trains and switching cars, as well as brake equipment for the control of cars and trains; orders of the Commission prescribe standards and specifications for equipment of this character. Safety-appliance inspectors are constantly engaged in inspections of safety-appliance equipment and tests of train brakes for the purpose of keeping the Commission informed concerning the condition of this equipment and ascertain whether inspection and maintenance provided by the carriers are adequate to provide for the proper degree of safety. This Bureau also enforces the hours-of-service law, which prescribes maximum periods of "on duty" and minimum periods of "off duty" to provide necessary rest for train-service employees, operators, dispatchers, and other employees engaged in or connected with the movement of trains. The carriers are required to report instances of excess service and to keep records from which check can be made to determine whether the requirements of law are being observed. Hours-of-service inspectors are constantly checking these records and investigating complaints and reported instances of excess service. The evidence collected by the safetyappliance and hours-of-service inspectors is used as a basis for the institution of suits in the Federal courts. Attorneys attached to the Bureau have charge of the preparation and prosecution of these cases, and the inspectors appear as witnesses in the courts on behalf of the Commission.

Serious train accidents are investigated, and reports prepared and distributed for the information and benefit of the Commission, railroad officials and employees, and the public. This function of the Bureau and the publicity given its findings has resulted in the correction of numerous dangerous conditions which have been directly responsible for accidents, as well as improvements in many other directions.

The forces of this Bureau also conduct field investigations in connection with the award of Medals of Honor by the President for the saving of life on railroads, and other matters assigned to them from time to time.

The amount of the Budget estimate for 1943 is the same as the appropriation for 1942, except that an amount of $4,955 is added to take care of administrative promotions under the Ramspeck bill.

This appropriation covers the Commission's activities under section 25 of the Interstate Commerce Act, as amended by the Transportation Acts of 1920 and 1940, and a joint resolution approved June 20, 1906, insofar as it provides for the installation, testing, and investigation of block-signal and train-control devices. It is necessary that the systems already installed be inspected from time to time and that new installations be tested and approved.

The work of the Bureau in connection with signal systems, interlocking, automatic train control, and similar devices is for the most part new work under section 25 of the Interstate Commerce Act as amended in 1937. Under this section of the law, four distinct duties are placed upon the Commission, as follows:

1. The Commission is authorized, if found necessary in the public interest, to require installation of block-signal systems, interlocking, automatic train stop, train-control and cab-signal devices, and other similar appliances, methods and systems intended to promote the safety of railroad operation, and to prescribe specifications therefor. Action has recently been instituted in four cases under this provision and similar action in additional cases is under consideration.

2. The carriers are not permitted to discontinue or materially modify existing installations hereafter made, without approval of the Commission. Under this provision, a total of 3,662 applications for approval have been filed, as of November 29, 1941. In 3,404 cases investigations have been completed and the applications have been acted upon by the Commission; 21 applications have been withdrawn or canceled, and the remaining 234 applications are pending.

3. The Commission is required to approve or to prescribe rules, standards, and instructions for installation, inspection, maintenance, and repair of the systems, devices, and appliances covered by the amended section. Such rules, standards, and instructions have been prepared, approved, and prescribed, and became effective September 1, 1939. Such rules, standards, and instructions became obligatory upon the carriers on that date, and thereafter the Commission was required by the terms of the law to inspect and test such systems, devices, and appliances. Under this section 180 applications for approval of modifications of these rules, standards, and instructions as applied to specific conditions or locations have been filed, 137 have been acted upon by the Commission, 5 have been withdrawn or canceled, and 38 are pending. Field inspections of existing signal' installations are being made currently under this provision but only to a very limited extent because the number of inspectors is inadequate to carry out in full the duties imposed upon the Commission by this section of the law.

4. Signal failures and accidents resulting therefrom are required to be reported to and may be investigated by the Commission. Forms for reporting signal failures have been prescribed and monthly reports of signal failures are being received and tabulated. Field investigations of signal failures are being made in connection with inspections referred to in paragraph 3, but these investigations are also greatly limited due to the small number of inspectors employed.

Thus far the work of this section of the Bureau has consisted for the most part of action upon applications for approval of proposed changes in existing signal installations, covered by paragraph 2 above; 234 of these applications are now pending, and delay in acting upon these applications results in corresponding delay in securing the benefits of the improvements which are required by the

present emergency conditions. The work required under paragraphs 3 and 4 above is increasing and can with difficulty be properly organized and executed with the present force of inspectors, and, as noted above, action with respect to paragraph 1 has only recently been initiated.

The amount included in the Budget estimates for 1943 is $6,970 in excess of the appropriation for the current fiscal year. Of this amount $1,070 is for administrative promotions under the Ramspeck bill and $5,900 is for the employment of two additional inspectors. The need for these additional inspectors is clearly shown in the preceding paragraphs.

This appropriation is for all authorized expenditures under the act of February 17, 1911, and amendments thereto; all of which refer to the promotion of safety of employees on railroads, by compelling carriers to equip their locomotives with safe and suitable boilers and appurtenances thereto, and applying with equal force to the tender and its appurtenances.

The salaries of the Director and the two Assistant Directors, together with the number and salaries of the district inspectors are fixed by law.

Inspections are made of all locomotives used on the lines of common-carrier railroads for the purpose of determining whether they are in proper condition to operate without unnecessary peril to life or limb, and are equipped and maintained in accordance with the established rules and regulations, and corrective action taken in connection with those not conforming to the requirements. Investigations are made of accidents caused by failure, from any cause, of locomotives or any of their appurtenances, evidence of violations is obtained and appropriate corrective action taken in connection therewith. Specifications covering design and construction of locomotives and major repairs applied thereto are checked to determine whether the design, construction, and repairs are safe and in compliance with the law, and corrective action taken where discrepancies are found. Inspection reports filed by the railroads and inspection and accident reports of the Bureau's inspectors are checked, analyzed, and coordinated so as to put the information contained therein in such form that the maximum use in the promotion of safety can be made of the information collected. Railroad officials are interviewed with respect to matters arising in connection with the work and correspondence is conducted with the railroad companies concerning the promotion of the safety of employees and travelers and the enforcement of the provisions of the locomotive inspection law.

The Budget estimate for this purpose is in the exact amount of the appropriation for the 1942 fiscal year but increased activities of the carriers, resulting in increased use of motive power make it apparent that maximum activity on the part of the presently authorized personnel will be needed to carry out the provisions of the act if reasonable standards of safety are to be maintained.

Attention is called to the reduction in amount which may be expended for personal services in the District of Columbia from $71,450 to $70,700. The present pay roll, with all positions filled, aggregates $70,420. Although the administrative promotions under the Ramspeck bill during the current fiscal year will aggregate $690 and for the fiscal year 1943 will aggregate $805, no new money is included in the estimates. The pay roll as of June 30, 1942, with all positions

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