, 1879-02-20

ton dispatch III LIE Tribune OF Inst Mondhy
10 the fnot TINT Gen. BASxs Ia dovotiug his
Inst days In Congress 10 tho support Of q
measure entitled, "a bill to protect life nnd
property, mud to prevent accidents nntl le1nys
OF Inafts on railroads and steamboats, operated
by stcam.powor within tho jurisdiction Of
the United Stntoa Of America" This bill Is
III general terms, mud requires railroads and
stcamboats 10 adopt, and put into actual md
continuous nso, such inventions mud i'm.
provements as shall contribute TO the COM
fort, security, md safoty Of passengers,
ana prevent eelny in tho transmission Of
t1ails al we'll as contribute to their safo trans
portation. It also provides for flvo Com.
tnIssonors ito be paid $4,000 oach by tho
Governmant), threo OIL tho part Of tho Gov.
crnmeat and two on tho part Of the COM
panies, who allnl1 bo vested with full power
to determine what Inventions aud improve
monts shall be usotl
This bill ia suspicious on its faco, and, If
1'assod, would furnish an opportunity for
unlimited blackrnail, oxtortion, aud injustice.
But wo print letter In anothor column
which, It 1t correctly states the case, shows
tho bill to DO deliberate job, conceived md
engineered by a Pennsylvania corporation
known Us "Tlo Consolidated Eire-Extln-
guiBhor Company" and designed to put
millions Of dollars into tho pockets of tho
people interested by means Of Government
coercion, According to tho information CON
yayed in the letter 10 which wo rofor, this
Company Is tho outgrowth Of fraud prac-
ticsd by Congress, which was persuaded by
lobbyists to pass bill nominally for tho relief
OF tho heirs Of ono William 4. GRAHAM, Vir-
glniau, but really granting patont and mo-
nopoly on tho l,Be Of carbonio acid In water
III portable machines (Which is tho baais Of
the ohemionl fse.extinguishorB), notwith-
standing the application for such pntent had
boon repeatedly rejected. It is now charged
that this Pennsylvania corporation is at tho
bottom Of aon. DASKa' bill, aud that all tue
necessary preparations havo been made for
the control Of tho proposed Commission, mud
for Thus, forcing !" consolidated are-oxtin-
guishora upon all tho railroads and stoan,-
boats operated in this country.
This chnrgo involves q serious and repre-
hensiblo scheme. If it Is truo (nnd the bill
introduced by Con. BANKS certainly creates
suspicion Of special interost), then tho re-
suit would be gigantic blackmailing opera
ton, which would o1tort millions of dollars
from railroad nad steamboat companies un-
lor Government sanction, and TO enable
which the Government itsolf would contrib
ute from 100000 to Sooo,00o year in sal
arios and expenses. A. suspicion of such IN
origin of tho bill should bo sufficient 10 &c.
cure its defeat, since the bill has not merit
of its own apart frolh any private job that
may be incident to it to warrant its passage.
Tho railroad and steauboat' companies arc
held to vury strict account for loss of lifo
and bodily Injury resulting from accidents.
Juries arc universally inclinod to award
heavy damages for oil losses mud injuries for
which such companies arc responsible. Tho
railroad aud steamboat managers arc nat1i-
rally disposed, therefore, to adopt ali mcaa-
urcs of protection which hnvo roa1 morit
without any compulsion. A law Of Congress-,
and tho control of permanent Government
Commission by some ono corporation or
combination Of corporations, would simply
result in forcing cortain doyoos upon mil
roads and steamboats, without regard to
merit, and at tho cxtortionaso prices which
u monopoly always produces The bill
should bo rejected, and VIC hopo TINT tho
attention we now direct to 1t mny contribute
t, Il 4 rcsll.