Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-11
CAR COUPLINGS.

CAE COUFLINGs
 This is one of the interesting parts of the report. proposed law for the compulsory adoption of automatic couplers by all roads was referred, last winter, to the commission ers-instead of enacting it into a law-and they were to have competitive examination of the various inventions, and make report to the present Legislature.
 The commissioners, after a careful exanli- nation of all, have this to say:
 It no part of this report to indicate preference any particular invention and indeed before do ing critical comparison ought in justice to be had than yet hAs been made, but we have had in mind certain requirements which we regard As es- Such coupler must of course not only couple auto matically with of it's own kind, but 1t must admit of being coupled with the ordinary form of draw bars without subjecting the brakeman to any in with it. all the better It is not necessary enlarge upon this point the truth is apparent to A and coV CTS the question of variation in height. for which it 1nust be equally well adapted the common form. It must be simple enough not to be liable to get ouf And the most complete must be uncomfortable above that of the ordinary draw-bsr, pin and link.
 Are there any snch cOoRiers we sninh strar it s practicable desirable for so small State as Con necticut with so few railroad corporations to tnsn- eurate compulsory legislation in this direction? We have been more perplexed over this quesaon than any other connected with the subject Our first in- clination to it in the negative, and were such legislation likely to result fin any interference with the interchange of we should still feel
  seem to be in the interest of humanity, but if our views correct the other points, we do not see how any trouble come in this direction We therefore sufficient reason why the work should not be begun here Legislation of this char aoter departure for Connecticut, only here it has been directed more towards the safety of the passengers than of the employe.
 That the Massachusetts Commissioners came to like conclusion, and the special committee in the province of Ontario took a similar view, strengthens the petition of the Connecticut Commissioners.
 The bill that was referred to the Commis- sioners makes it compulsory on railroad com panies to furnish every freight car with an automatic coupler. The Commissioners do not go so far, but would apply the law only to all new cars. They say:
 We would therefore recommend the enactment of 3 law requiring that all freight cars hereafter bought built by the corporations operating railroads In this State shall be equipped with automatic couplers the draw-bass of which shall be at the uniform height which has been recommended by the master carbuiders and with dead blocks sufficiently thick to give not less than foot space between the cars when the blocks come together, and that similar bars and couplers should be made use of in a renewals. If it is objected that this is half way measure, answer, that is just what 1t ia intended to be. To require companies to substitute at once automatic coupers for those now in use on their more than 1s,000 freight cars would, in our judgment, be imposing an unreasonable burden oi expense ~
 tion in the of old cars, there may be adopted some such device was shown us for bar piToted on rolling collar to be attached to the end of car and long enough to reach from the side Of the car u der the bar to raise and direct the link without taking hold of with the hand in other words to bs
 subititute for the stick always in place and ready for use.