the names of the cities and towns through which the projected road or branch is to run, are to be given with as much certainty as the nature of the case will admit. The articles of association of the company fostering the project must be published in each county once a week for a period of three weeks; and the map of the proposed route, together with the report, must be submitted to the mayor, aldermen, and selectmen of the different municipalities affected. Public hearings, after due notice to all persons interested, are also provided for.

In Maine the railroad commissioners must approve the location of the railway before construction is begun. Extensions of existing lines may be built on application to and approval of the commission. Frequently the more remote states are less restrictive in such matters; but the laws of Arkansas make it obligatory for the company to file the map with the county clerk of every county through which the proposed railway is to be run, for the inspection of all persons interested. The location having once been established, no modifications in the line, exceeding a certain distance, are permitted, and a map of the road, together with such modifications, must be filed with the secretary of state. One of the most important provisions bearing upon this question is found in a recent law (1899) of Tennessee, which prohibits. one railway company from holding exclusive possession of a narrow pass, thus preventing another

railway company from laying its tracks through the same. If the pass is so narrow that only one track can be laid, joint use of the same is made mandatory upon the road which has built through it. No point named in the articles of incorporation can be avoided under the laws of California. A map of the road must be filed with the secretary of state after location. Changes in the line must also be filed. In Connecticut a map of an approved route must be filed with the town clerks on a prescribed scale; and, after construction, the lineament of the road can be changed only by permission of the board of commissioners. Florida charters must state the place from which and to which the road is to be constructed, its length, and the name of each county through which it runs. However, the direction of the road may be changed by a vote of two-thirds of the directors. provisions are found in the laws of Georgia.

Similar

In a number of states maps are not required to be filed until after construction has begun or is completed, or within a year after the road has been finished. In Indiana, on the other hand, a map must be filed with the county clerk in every county named in the articles of association before construction can begin. If necessary, the route may be changed, but no place named in the articles is to be avoided. Kansas also requires the filing of a map with county clerks before construction; and the road bed may be changed, but not the general route. The map, approved by the president and

secretary of the railway company, the attorneygeneral, railway commissioner, and secretary of state, must be filed in the office of the registrar of deeds under the laws of Michigan. In New Hampshire the railway commission reports to the supreme court on the public utility of the proposed road, and a map of the same, if constructed, must be filed within one year after the railway is opened; and the railway commissioner may authorize a change in the location and assess damages caused thereby. The New York railway commission has power to approve or disapprove railway projects; persons interested are given a hearing; and a map must be filed before construction begins. In North Carolina the charter must be filed within a reasonable time after construction. Petitions must be presented to the "statutory court" if the proposed route appears objectionable to the commissioners. To alter the route by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors, to deflect a route from a certain city by a two-thirds vote of the council, are the privileges enjoyed by railway companies chartered under the laws of North Dakota. that state they are also required to file a map at any time within six months after definite location. has been decided upon. The names of the termini and the counties through which the proposed railway runs must be filed, under the laws of Ohio. For good reasons a change in the route may be made, but the secretary of state must be notified. thereof, and all subscribers and all persons who

In

subscribed for the former route must be released

from their obligations. In Wyoming the law simply declares that railway companies may exercise the right of eminent domain in locating or relocating lines. This was a common provision in early charters, under which railway companies were empowered to locate and to relocate the respective roads at their pleasure. Approximately one-half of the states have statutory provisions governing the location of railways; and only a few cause accurate surveys and maps to be made, so that the exact location of a road may be known before construction begins.

Equipment. The subject of safety in railway transportation has been one of the most prolific sources of railway legislation in recent years. There are few topics about which so many different laws have been passed, and perhaps none in regard to which more separate acts have been approved by the various legislatures. A majority of these laws relate to mechanical appliances and the physical condition of the road, while numerous others have in view the improvement of cars and stations, in so far as these affect the comfort and health of passengers. Numerous police regulations also appear upon the statute books of recent years, relating chiefly to subjects like stealing rides on trains, shooting at trains or throwing missiles, destruction of railway property, interference with railway signals, destroying tracks, or other things affecting the safety of traffic. A

movement is noticeable to encourage the abolition of grade crossings and to guard these more carefully in the many places where they still exist. Bringing trains to a stop at railway crossings, or permitting them to pass without stopping in case interlocking switches are used; the construction of switches and the use of keys for the same; the blocking of frogs, in order to prevent feet of workmen from being caught in them; and similar subjects, relating to safety in the construction of tracks, have called forth numerous recent laws. An old and ever-recurring subject for legislation is that of fences, cattle guards, bells, whistles, etc. The introduction of automatic couplers has been greatly promoted by the legislatures of a number of leading states, as well as the use of continuous train brakes. In a few laws the number of brakemen for every train, or for a certain number of cars, is also prescribed. Several laws regulate the question of precedence among trains. In almost all states laws have been passed regulating the speed of trains in cities, - although these are usually limited by municipal ordinance, in crossing each other's tracks, and in crossing bridges. In the Southern States the law commonly provides for separate coaches for white and colored persons; in others, the heating of cars and coaches is made. compulsory. Fresh water must be supplied at stations and in coaches, and the necessary conveniences for personal comfort provided on trains and in railway stations. In a few cases the laws