While the gain in mileage protected by some form of block signals in 1909 is only slightly more than half the increase in 1907, it shows a healthy revival of this most important constructive work. At the close of the last calendar year, according to the Railroad Age-Gazette, the mileage on which some system of block signals had been installed was as follows:

SystemSingle TrackTwo or More TracksTotal
1909		Total
1908
Automatic block signals (miles)6,4367,98314,41911,932
Non-automatic block signals (miles)40,3238,59348,91648,777
Total miles46,75916,57663,33560,709
Miles of line operated by the companies, 1909158,938

The second annual report of the government Block Signal and Train Control Board shows that little advance has been made in the search after the perfect system of automatic mechanical operation. Since the organization of the board in 1907 no less than 835 plans and descriptions of inventions designed to enhance the safety of railway operation have been submitted for its consideration. Of these 184 were examined and reported upon in 1908 and 12 were found worthy of further investigation. During the past year 327 others have been reviewed with a net result that again 12 have been found to possess enough merit to warrant the Board in conducting further tests. It finds that the vast majority of the proposed devices are unsound either in principle or design.

With regard to some form of automatic stop, the Board says that it is not yet prepared to make a definite and positive recommendation, but it thinks it reasonable to expect that several forms of automatic train controlling devices will be found available for use. In this connection it very sensibly concludes:

"It is not to be expected that trials or tests conducted by the government will, independently of extended use by railways, result in the production of devices or systems fully developed to meet all the exacting conditions of railway operation."

[III]
EMPLOYES AND THEIR COMPENSATION

NUMBER 1,524,400

COMPENSATION $1,008,270,000