The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-02-28
A MoVe IN the Right Direction.

A bill has been reported to the House of Dele
gates by the select committee for the purpose of
better protecting the lives of and safety of the
travelling public from injury by steam railways
at road and turnpike crossings in Baltimore coun-
ty. We believe Senator Davis introduced SIM
liar bill in the Senate two years ago, but it did
not have the good fortune of becoming law.
The bill makes it obligatory upon all railroad
companies in Baltimore county to provide at the
crossing of q turnpike, road, street or highway
to station guard of at least one person who shall
warn all travellers of danger from approaching
trains by waving to and fro a red flag by day
and a red light during the hours Of darkness
This process is to be kept up while trains remain
in the vicinity Of the crossing. For each day
that any railroad company fails to comply with
the requirements Of the bill it is to be fined not
less than twenty-five nor more than fifty dollars,
and these fines are to be collected as small fines
are collected by existing laws. The bill is to
take effect from its passage if it becomes law.
If any railway company fails or nsglects to COM
ply with the provisions of the bill until the LIST of
July next, then the County Commissioners are
authorized to station guards at all required points
at salaries of not less than one and one-half dol
lars nor more than FIVE dollars per day, to be
fixed by the County Commissioners and paid by
the railroad company. Ifany railroad company
shall fail neglect refuse for sixty days to pay
the wages of such guards or aagmen, then the
County Commissioners shall pay the same and
then proceed by suit to collect it from the railway
company. The railroad company is to be exempt
from the operation of this law, if it construct
tunnel or bridge at the designated crossings so as
not to endanger travel, at the place so bridged
or tunnelled. The act is to apply to all railroads
that use steam now or hereafter in Baltimore
county. The County Commissioners have dis
cretionary power to release all railroad compa-
MES temporarily from the operations of this act
except at all crossings of the Falls and York turn
pixies by the N. G.. R. R., and the following coun-
ty roads Riders, Jessop's Crossing and at Free
lands, and large number of crossings of the
other roads.
That all railway companies should be obliged
law " UoAu tuO puShN BuoAuo ~ enAS 5oA
has long been our firm conviction. That the
penalties of $25 and $50 for each days non-com-
pliance vigorously enforced is all the penalty re-
quired we are as firmly convinced. That the
County Commissioners should have anything to
do with the matter admits Of very grave doubt
with US. That they should have any discretion
-s--y------.o.-., Vpcrutruu
OF the law at any point is certainly very objec-
tionabe feature in the bill. We are well satisfied
that the Commissioners now or hereafter will not
care to be burdened with such responsibility =
The damages in an ordinary case that re-
suits in death would pay the wages of ten flag
men for year. Could we change the bill, we
would make it apply to all the State and to every
public crossing. A proper protection to the pub
lie demands it. This protection is the duty oil
the State. We are convinced it would save
thousands of dollars to the companies and eer-
tainly many lives. We fear there are too many
railroads in the way of this bill.