which trains start in different directions, the direction in which the train is to go, or the terminal point for which it is destined, should be distinctly announced in each car of the train before starting, so that passengers who have entered the wrong train may have an opportunity to correct their error.

4. Bridges over railroads should be not less than eighteen feet clear, above the top of the rail, or, at all events, high enough to admit of the passage of a train with a brakeman standing erect upon the top of any car. Owing to the insufficient height of bridges, brakemen are not unfrequently struck from the cars and killed, especially in the night, the accident being simply accounted for as a case of "falling from train." Exception, however, might perhaps be advantageously made in cases of bridges built within cities or villages, according to the circumstances of street grading, etc.

5. Section of Article IV. of the General Revision (see Appendix, page 301), provides that "any conductor, engineer, servant or other employe of any such railroad corporation, who shall knowingly violate any of the written or printed rules or regulations of such company in relation to the running of engines or trains, shall be subject to a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than one hundred dollars, or to an imprisonment in the county jail not more than three months, or both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court." To give this section any proper force, there should also be a clause compelling railroad companies to furnish copies of their printed rules and regulations to all of their employes, and this clause should be accompanied by suitable provision for its enforcement. The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company have published a hand-book of 77 pages, containing 328 rules, and entitled: "Rules and Regulations for the conduct of the traffic, and for the guidance of the officers and men in the service of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Co.;" and yet upon the trial of employes of that company upon the occasion of the disaster of August 29th,

1873, at Muir, two of said employes stated that they had never seen a copy of the book before it was produced and shown to them in the course of the trial.

6. The air-brake law (see Appendix, page 299,-Section 1 of Article IV., of the General Revision), should be so amended as to make it impossible to evade it by equipping only a part of the train with the air-brake apparatus, or by interposing a car without such equipment between cars that are properly furnished. In the case of an accident at East Foxborough, Massachusetts, described in the Report of the Board of Commissioners of that State for 1872, the train-brake upon the locomotive and rear cars was rendered useless" as the Report says, "by the presence of cars unequipped with it in the middle of the train."

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7. Railroad companies should be required to report promptly to the Commissioner the circumstances of every accident that takes place upon their roads resulting in injury to persons, and also of all accidents not so resulting, of which the Commissioner of Railroads shall, by a general regulation, require notice.

8. The time at which railroad companies are required to make their annual returns to the office of the Commissioner of Railroads, should be changed. The reports of the companies should be made up to July 1st, and filed in the office by the following 1st of September. As the law now stands, the reports when printed and submitted to the Governor and the Legislature, are a year old.

9. The word "cost" should be substituted for, or included with, the words "estimated value," in subdivisions Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth of Section 7 of the act establishing this office, said section specifying the particulars upon which railroad companies are required to give information to the Commissioner.

STEPHEN S. COBB,

Commissioner of Railroads.

EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE.

Paper

(From its opening, in May, until December 31st, 1873,-eight months.)

Printing..

Binding

Postage.

$40 95

234 08

71 55

45.35

ORGANIZATIONS AND CHANGES.

COMPANIES ORGANIZED IN 1872.

During the period covered by this report the companies named in the following list have filed articles of association in the office of the Secretary of State. Each share of capital stock s in all cases one hundred dollars.

Canada, Michigan & Chicago Railway Co.-Termini, Lansing and St. Clair. Capital stock $4,000,000; amount paid in, $5,500; articles filed Feb. 8, 1872.

Detroit River Railroad & Bridge Co.-Consolidated with Detroit River Railway, Bridge & Tunnel Co., of Canada, to form the Canada Southern Bridge Co., by agreement filed Sept. 23, 1873. Capital stock, $250,000; amount paid in, $12,500; articles filed, Feb. 26, 1872.

Detroit & State Line Railroad Co.-Termini, Detroit and State line south of Monroe county. Consolidated with Junction Railway Co., of Ohio, forming Toledo, Canada Southern & Detroit Railroad Co. Agreement filed July 10, 1872; agreement affirmed and entered into anew and filed Aug. 2, 1872. Capital stock, $800,000; amount paid in, $3,000; articles filed March 19, 1872.

St. Clair River, Pontiac & Jackson Railroad Co.-Termini, St. Clair River and city of Jackson. Amendment filed Oct. 2, 1872, changing name to St. Clair & Chicago Air Line Railroad Co., also changing route and increasing capital stock to $1,700,000. Capital stock, $1,200,000; amount paid in, $6,000; articles filed, April 8, 1872.

Adrian & State Line Railroad Co.-Termini, Adrian, and a

point near the southeast corner of Medina township, Lenawee county. Capital stock, $150,000; amount paid in, $800; articles filed, April 24, 1872.

Ohio, Quincy & Grand Haven Railroad Co.-Termini, Grand Haven and Quincy. Capital stock, $2,000,000; amount paid in, $1,500; articles filed, April 29, 1872.

Fort Gratiot & Lexington Railroad Co.-Termini, Port Huron & Lexington. Amendment filed March 6, 1873, changing route. Capital stock, $200,000; amount paid in, $1,000; articles filed, April 30, 1872.

Mackinac & Chicago Railroad Co.-Termini, Monteith and the Indiana State line, in the township of Three Oaks, Berrien county. Capital stock, $1,500,000; amount paid in, $3,750; articles filed, May 1, 1872.

Lansing & Lake Michigan Railway Co.-Termini, Lansing and Holland. Capital stock, $3,000,000; amount paid in, $4,000; articles filed, May 16, 1872.

Toledo, Canada Southern & Detroit Railway Co.-Termini, Toledo and Detroit. Formed by the consolidation of the Detroit & State Line Railroad Co., of Michigan, and the Junction Railway Co., of Ohio, by agreement filed July 10, and Aug. 2, 1872. Capital stock, $2,000,000; articles filed, July 10, 1872, and Aug. 2, 1872.

Ionia, Stanton & Northern Railroad Co.-Termini, a point three miles north of Ionia, and Chippewa. Consolidated with the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad Co., taking the name of the latter by agreement filed Dec. 11, 1872. Capital stock, $500,000; amount paid in, $3,100; articles filed, July 17, 1872.

Grand Rapids, Greenville & Alpena Railroad Co.-Termini, Greenville and Alpena. Consolidated with the Grand Rapids, Rockford & Greenville Railroad Co., retaining its name, by agreement filed Dec. 14, 1872. Capital stock, $2,000,000; amount paid in, $8,000; articles filed, July 22, 1872.

Lapeer & Port Austin Railroad Co.-Termini, Lapeer and