The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-13
MAINE RAILROADS.
what the Commissioners Say Of the
States iron Ways.

AUGUSTA, December IL. - The Maine
Railroad Commissioners have made their
32d annual report. The document is very
long one. 1t contains detailed description
of the roads of the state, which are reported
In satisfactory condition. Recommendation
is made that legislation be enacted giving
the board the power to establish regulations
for street railways. The Portland street
railway is found to be in good condition an
well managed. The company own 265
horses, an increase over last year of 42.
Three new cars have been built at the shops
of the company, and the rolling stock is kept
In good repair.
An interesting compilation is made to
show the small number of travellers killed
and injured on railroads. From this 1t ap-
pears that for the year ending June 80. 1889,
there were carried on.railways in the United
States Az, Ill 343 persons. who travelled an
aggregate Of 1853. .820, ,445 miles, an average
journey of 2447 miles for each person. OF
this great number, $40 were killed and 2146
Injured. But 1t appears that in the same
time 1872 employees we're killed and 2O028 in
jured. Continuing, the report says:
The physical condition of railroads in
Maine, Is well maintained and no accident of
serious nature las occurred for many years,
to trains that could be reasonably attributed to
defects in construction or want of repair in
track or bridge structures.
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.
In connection with the statistical facts above
given, as to accidents to employees on rail-
roads, vast numbers of whom, as we have
shown, are yearly being killed, manned and
otherwise injured, we are led to inquire, must
this slaughter of our strong active young men
be permitted to continued Is there no reme-
dys Can it be said that we have acquired
perfect system of railroading in this country
when out of 704743 employees, 1872 are
killed and 2o,02S injured yearly, of whom
many of the latter class are manned and Grip
pied for lfes
Doubtless very many of these accidents oc-
cur by reason OF the carelessness of these per-
sons or their co-employes; but from the ma
ture OF the accidents above enumerated, we
cannot doubt that, if such modern appliances
and inventions as are now available, were
used, many of the lives and limbs of opera
tives on railroads would be saved. 1t is not a
little surprising, that when the dangers to
train men are so great, so many young men are
willing to engage in such hazardous employ
ment especially when we consider the average
wages paid for such employment and the
slight chances for future promotion for care
and faithfulness in the discharge of their
duties.
1t appears from the report of the Bureau of
Industrial and Labor Statistics of Maine, that
the average monthly wages paid is as follows
Engineers. $50 46
Firemen,
Passenger conductors, 59 56
Freight conductors, GO IL
Brakemen. 80 96
From the above, it is clear that il is not be.
cause greater wages are paid for such service,
that young men are induced to risk their lives
and limbs in such employment
By the laws of many of our States, (though
not in Maine) railroad companies are held
legally liable for physical damage to their en-
ployes though resulting from causes beyond
the reasonable control of executive manage
ment In England, workman lin railroad or
other hazardous servce) when injured, or his
legal representative, in case the injury results
in death, has the same right of compensation
and remedies against the employer, as if he had
not been workman nor engaged in the SER
vices OF the employed, though the law is care
fully guarded and is only effective under GER
tain conditions and circumstances. In view of
the dangers to which these men are subjected,
and the tact that the railroad corporations, un-
der our laws are exempted from liability, is il
not clearly the duty of railroad corporations
to use all the means within their power and
adopt every device that will in any manner les
sen the dangers to which these employees are
daily exposeds And in addition, we again re-
peat what We said in. our report for 1883 upon
this subject: "As a means of promoting the
efficiency of railroad employees, and to stimu-
late them to faithfulness in the discharge of
their duties, we believe it would be wise for
railroad managers to adopt system of grading
in each department with corresponding COM
peusation for each grade. Where the lives of
the travelling public and the property Of the
corporation depend for their preservation, upon
the experience, care and faithfulness. in the
discharge of the duties, with which almost
every employe is necessarily entrusted, none
too great care can be exercised in their selsc
ton: Neither is 1t just to the employe who
has for years exercised skill, care and faithful.
ness in the discharge of every duty entrusted
to him, to have nothing held up, to which he
may attain, as reward for exercising such
skill and faithfulnsss, by way of increased nav