The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-18
NEWSPAPER CRITICS on RAILROAD
MANAGEMENT.

The Railroad Gazette takes exception to
newspaper criticism Of railway manage
ment. In a recent editorial it characterizes
as ''moTe than ordinarily dIsCouraging and
indicative Of ignorance and prejudice" the
decision Of tile COTuneT's jury IN the matter
Of tie Hastings collision, and gives the
daily newspapers OF the country a portion
Of its censuTe for not only accepting TIE
JuTy's verdict but charging upon it, and
suggesting from the depths Of editorial
ignorance tie putting ~ operation Of an
effective system Of signals by which every
station along 4 read sinai. he kept posted on
tie movements Of trains.
The Gazette asks: should 2 railroad
DEL end iUT safety from railway collisions
upon a system in which prompt notice to
every station Of every irregularity OF traits
is al essential element? This" it argues.
was tie absurd ground taken by the
Coroner in his report on the collision al
hI2t0n, Ohio, in April last and this is the
only rational basis for the plans now pro-
posed by various editors fer running trains
on the New York Central" Il details at
some length the Inconvenience Of such a
system TO the company, and says:
suppose tie local train were detained by
bI06en locomotive i've miles below Hastings at
q non-ieiegfaph station; must the conductor
monty lie dispatcher aud he In turn notify the
station Mast The express IefIan from passing
the loci until word C be sent ahead b. tels-
graph Suppose. again. that a wTeckIHg train,
which must be huUied to some point fifty miles
away. has 10 be started out ahead OF local pas
seuger train. IS 1t fair to The people detained by
the wreck (and possibly iulured) 10 keep them
Walging While nO;ic- Is sent 10 every station that
a wTecklug train is comiug2
The work Of notifying stations Of the
sending out Of a wrecking train could be
effectually accomplished, If The company
was serious in the intention of having it
done, just about as promptly as the wreck
ing train could be got IN readiness, and the
question Of fairness 10 people detained or
even injured as suggested does not weigh
against the operation of a reasonable meas
ure of precaution that may avert further
catastrophe.
Can a railroad be reasonably expected
to keep its small stations manned with tele-
graph operators unburdeDed by other duties
to the extent implied by these require
ments % asks the Gazette. and adds
il would be a great convenience if every New
York Central station agent could receive imme-
diate information Of every disarrangemeut OF
schedules. for the benefit Of waiting passengers
and such information might some time be Of In.
cIdenja value IN preventing collision. II a
station agent were TO question every lagman
about bis work. there would be a possibility OF
some tine aYerling a disaster through The re-
mindeTs thus brought out. Ether Of these pos
sibilities might have proved valuable 10 The
Hastings case.
But the Gazette thinks: 1.-THE critics
ignore the difference between what a dis
patcbeT or station agent might do and
what he should be required to do"
Exactly. These newspaper critics, blinded
by prejudice in favor Of public safety,
have been obtuse enough to imagine that If
such an arrangement as is outlined above
might have proved valuable in the Hastings
case such an arrangement should prevail;
that a corporation whose managers have be-
come enormously rich in the conduct Of its
affairs could be reasonably expected to keep
all its stations so manned as to reduce the
chances Of accident TO q minimum.
The Government controlled railways of
Europe employ many more people than do
thu mOn0DOliStic concerns Of this country
to look out for public safety. As conse-
quence, the accidents resulting in injury or
loss of life TO travellers in Germany. for in
stance, are about one-lftn as many as occur
in this country.
The trouble with the roads Of the United
States is that railroad corporations have so
long pursued their own sweet will, robbing,
overcharging and ignoring that of the peo-
pie, without molestation, that they have
ceased even to maintain pretense that they
consider the public possessed Of any rig hts
which they are bound TO respect. The idea
that human safety is enhanced by any
scheme proposed does not, apparently,
weigh in the minds Of Directors against the
| possibility Of possible trihing lessening Of
! dividends. The newspaper yenturing to
| assert that such consideration should have
weight is clearly without its jurisdiction
and should be censuTed accordingly.
! Just how long this condition of things
! will be allowed to 90 on is hard to predict
! but II is certain that the temper of the peo-
! pie is not improving under the present policy
Of disregard for their rights. They are be-
! ginning TO take deep interest in railroad
matters and to question whether they should
not control instead Of being controlled by
these great engines of monopoly. One day
they will conclude that no particular reason
exists why they should not, through the
! General Government, do the former, and the
| management that would postpone that evil
! day for monopoly will DO we'll to heed the
| signs Of the times and placate justice while