Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-01-25
BLOODY RAlLWAY
JUGGERNAUTH OUTDONE BY
CIVILIZED AVARlCE,

Saved and Dividends Earned by
Willful Slaughter of Employees
and Passengers.
The seventh annual report of the
Board of Railroad Commissioners of the
State of New York was transmitted to
the Legislature last week. 1t is an i'm
portant document, of great interest to
the public at large, and to railroad EN-
ployes in particular.
First, as to the murderous work of
our railroad magnates, whose avarice is
directly responsible for
ENORMOUS LOSS OF LIFE
and bodily injuries. The number of
employees killed on the railroads of the
State in 1889 was 119, and of injured
712. The whole number killed, includ-
ing passengers, employees, persons walk
ing on the track, etc., was $50, and the
number injured 1,105. That is an in.
crease of 36 killed over the previous
year. The most serious cause of
DEATH TO EMPLOYEES
was from walking on the track; the
next from falling from trains, engines
and cars; the third, from coupling cars
No remedy is suggested as to the first
cause. As to the second, the Commits
sioners repeat their recommendation
for the construction of low railing
around the roofs of freight cars, which,
they correctly observe, is "as necessary
as the bulwarks of vessel in stormy
sea-" They add that the adoption of
continuous train brakes would also be
effective in reducing to minimum the
number of falls, but that, although the
suject has long been under considera-
ton, little progress appears to have been
made. AS to the third cause,
AUTOMATIC CoUpLERs
are especially commended, not only to
the Legislature, but also to the Inter-
State Commission.
The most serious cause of death to
persons not passengers or employees on
railroads was from walking on the
tracks; the next was being run over on
crossings which were not provided with
GATES OR FLAGMEN.
The Commissioners regret that, as a
rule, railroads do not pass over or under
highways, and they repeat their previ-
Gus recommendation of law having
this triple object in view:
/. To prevent new railroads hereafter
constructed from crossing highways at
grade.
2. To prevent new highways being
opened at grade across railroads.
3. To provide for the separation of
grades between existing railroads and
highways at crossings.
They call attention to the
DESTRUCTION OF THE FORESTS
of the State in the Adirondacks, and of
private property on Long Island and
elsewhere, by fire communicated from
locomotive engines and they propose a
law establishing the responsibility of
railroad corporations for such destruc-
ton.
These and other measures the Com
missioners recommend, as they declare,
from a sense of the duty imposed upon
them by law; but they intimate quite
nloinly shof rboy optartain par,, Ittl,
hope of seeing the Legislature act upon
any of Their suggestions, especially those
having in view the protection of railroad
employees and the public, which have
heretol ore been persistently ignored.
This being the case, it is evident that
the Legislature will consider least of all
their proposition that the law creating
the Board of Railroad Commissioners be
SO amended that the mere recommends
tions of that Board may be enforced by
mandamus, subject to appeal in the
usual way. Nor can we approve of it,
on principle. Corrupt as the Legislature
is and must be, under our present
system, we cannot for moment coun-
tenance the idea of transferring any
portion of its legislative power to
Board of other politicians, just as likely
to prove corrupt. less directly respons-
ibls to the people, and restrained only
by courts that would confirm or veto
the edicts of that Board at their own
sweet will. That the New York Cham
ber of Commerce an6 the Judges of the
Court of Appeals signified their approval
of such a scheme, is quite natural. 1t
IL also an additional reason why the
common people" should beware of it.