The morning news., 1892-02-08
The Car Coupler ouegtion.


Without touching upon the question as 70
whether Senator Georges proposed law 70
make interstate railroad and steamship
companies liable for injuries sustained by
their employees IN the line Of duty will cause
a conflict between state and FEDERAL
authority. It is doubted if the ends sought
can be achieved by the legislation be sug
gests.
The purpose OF the bill is to provide, as
far as may be possible, safeguards
for the protection of railway brake
men or other employees engaged in
coupling cars. This the senator
from Mississippi would do by indirect
means, making the railroads responsible in
damages for injuries received by reason OF
the negligence Of managers to provide
coupling arrangements "of the safest kind
then known and in use," or through the
carelessness or negligence Of other en-
ployes. A section Of the bill forbids reguIa-
tions or agreements which would enable
the employe to contract himself out of
this security, and declares void all such con-
tracts and agreements.
Recently bill, having the same purpose
in view, but approaching it directly by re-
quiring that the best and safest pattern of
car couplers, to be decided by competent
commission, be adopted and put into use by
all railroads operating under the interstate
commerce law, was introduced in the House.
Senator George proposes to bring about the
same result in different manner. Knowl-
edge Of liability for injuries TO employees
brought about by imperfect mechanical
devices, he thinks, would induce the rail-
roads to remedy the evil at once; and leav-
ing the choice of pattern to the individual
road would open wider field of competi-
ton among inventors, from whose creations
the nearest approach to perfection would be
selected. Again, individual responsibility
would bring about the change moro rapidly
than Is probable through the red tape
bureau methods.
1t appears that the senator is reckoning
In advance Of reason if he supposes the rail-
road corporations would hasten to comply
with the requirements of his bill lif it should
become law. Corporations are proverb-
tally 'soulless," and railroad trains would
continue to run just as they are without
thought Of improved couplers, taking the
ShAhO0o Va hlAlAnk u lew DIhkelleD anu
"paying for them rather than sink an
enormous expenditure in changing the
draw heads of their rolling stock, only to
find at the time of an accident that the de-
vice in use is not the safest kind known
and in use." In that instance damages
would be payable anyway, and another
overhauling of cars in order.
The inventive mechanical mind keeps al
ways IN advance of the railroads. What is
the safest known" appliance to-day may
be eclipsed tomorrow by contrivauce
which excels it in every detail And these
devices cost money-an immense amount
Of it. There is hardly q railroad in the
country, if indeed there is a single one, that
could from its earnings keep equipped with
the newest car couplers, each an improve
ment over the one preceding it. train of
twenty-five cars. The car coupler is
hobby with every railroad man and every in
ventor who has to do with railroad mechau-
ism. and a constant stream of models and
applications keeps pouring into the patent
Office.