Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-01


the use OF cars which do not comply with
the standard provided. These provisions
became operative on July l. 1885, IL mp.
pearcd from responses to an order issued
by the commission In June Last that
large number OF cars had no. been pro-
vided with appliances as required By law.
y number OF applications to the commits
son for extension OF time within which
hand holds or grab. irons and the. stand
ard height OF drawbars were filed on or
sson, the time the provisions referred TO
4 hearing was had on July 49, upon tn
application of the receivers Of the Nee
York, Lake Erie and Western Raliroad
| company, which was largely attended by
| representatives of the various applying
carriers, the Master Car Builders associ-
pioyes. On July iS 1896, the commission
lssted AN order. applicable to all carriers
Or Interstate eommetee by railroad, eN,,
be equipped with secure grab irons or
hsnd holds from July l, iSss, when section
Only. The time OF the carriers to comply
Win the provisions of section g. which
psShlSis ne he, use Of any sar r. i9testS,e
bars OF the prescribed standard height,
was also extended by the commission In
IN such order from the LIST day OF July,
| 1895. TO and until tho 18th day OF Febru-
airy, 1890. and FOR such time only
The grounds for the issuance OF the
I
riers are apparently tndeavorlng TO COM
I My with the law. a large number OF them
/ have sent notices to their connections that
after tho LIST day of December they VIII
| refuse TO haul any cars that are not prop
| erly equipped, and that In compliance with
i q resolution adopted by The American
! Railway association In October, ls1i, thay
Will equip the cars coming ON their lin 4
| with the necessary appliances TO meet the
| requirements OF the law, and charge the
owners of said cars at the pr,cO agreed
| upon by the Master Car Builders associa-
| ton. On November 30 more thnn 20lO cars
| were held by the Reading Railroad COM
| pany and an equal Number by the Penn
I sylvania company. which thcy refused 70
allow to come upon their tracks until the
necessary appliances were placed on the
cars.
Tho Master Car Builders association
| has recommended the positions which
grnb-lrons and hnnd-holds should occupy,
ana that association took an Informal bal
l9t among its members, NOR than two
| thirds voting In favor OF the proposed
notifications, This acton. however does
rot impose any legal duty upon the cur
] rierS II Ii conceded that the location OF
grablrons or hand-holds should be uni
1 liked by lepis'attve enactment, som nu =
| ton has been raised as to the valid fy n
/ that portion OF the act which aufnor 2 y
m association OF Individuals, the Amcrl-
can Railway association, TO fix the siani-
! ard height of draw-bar. and It has also
! been stated that the standard as fN d IN
compliance with law f. ambiguous. while
/ depreciation Of the INV IL IL stggeattl
tnat INC standard which has been IN oper-
avon 81 since c Jn,S. lSE be now dc4nitely
| iained both as TO hnnd n IDA mud Erob.
irons Is uniformity. and dir icultrs and
! endorsements arc silre TO atisp III roam
/ IN lott for rniirold sup ariniendeuts IN ex'
ercise their individual preferences Tha
/ appendix to the report containR u stata
ment In detail in regard to saf2y appli-
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.
During the year ending june 30. 1884, 1921
railway employees were kill-d and ~ i2l
wore injured. Compared wi h the Or ,yious
year this shows deer ass of e)i In thu
number Of employees killed and sj07 In the
number Of employees injured. One reason
for this large decrease in casualty ia th,
reduction. to the extent OF % sgi, in the
number of employees No statistics cav
ering the year ending June 80 1875 hayo
as yet been compiled. II Is known, how
ever. that the equipment OF cars wi h
hand-holds and grab-irons has been rapid
ly going on. that the majority OF all ears
are now 80 equipped and that a lnrgA
number of cars and locomotives have nlHo
pIeet ht,ed with train-brakes and automat-
ic couplers during the year. IL lCv7d
therefore, that the ratio of aecilen for
me year ending June 30 1876, VIII show a
ss5 tiiI "a. durther decrease. For the year June
". 1871, the number of empl yes n enc1
employe KILLED was as, as compared with
w IN the preyllus year. The numb r ~
~ employed for one Killed was 1856.
~ ~ compared win III Ia tho previous year
rms Is marked Improvement and Il il =.
heved TO be due to the use OF better safety
equipment. -
The supreme court Of the United statos
has held In cases ci.ed that the hazird 5tis
cnafacler OF the business Of operntiny "a
tinn nii, seems TO call for special sla-
LON Ion WIN respect 10 railroad corporations
having Tor us object the protection oil
theT employees as we. as The safe y OF
nrom etn,s' ang mat y Is incumbent upon
Whrre such occupat on is attend d Win
Danger TO life, body or limb. 10 provide MI
appliances readily attainable known In
science for the prevention Of aeeldnp,S
anu That neglect % provide such ANIL
n ,,will be regarded as proof of culpnble
The amendments recommended, II ndont.
! ca; would Impose no new liability upon m.
r ,,,i,s eompani $. but they would make
me law respecting safety appliances
TRAFFIC. AGREEMENTS.
Under this heading the subject OF pool.
ing OF froighta and division of carplnes
Is considered, md various traffic agree
ments are mentioned and discussed mo
agreement of the Central Traffic nssooIn-
ION Tor division Of east-bound dina
freight, dressed meats and live stock from
chicago. IN effect from May /, 1884, ia de-
serlped as hoiug virtually u pooling agree
menl because the parties thereto en-.
gage to divide among themselves, In pro-
portions TO DO liked by mutual agreements
the entire. competitive traffic, Ia unrea'
nlB Tor IT'S part 10 limit its business 40 the
extent necessary for mat purDos- - Ine
sonHlsslon huVlny reached tine cOucluslon
tnht thls contract violated the min ssn
tioh OF the act referred the matter, with
me documents relating thereto, 10 inc AZ
torhsy general, requs sting han 10 direct
mo United States district attorney az Inc
proper district 10 institute ami t,osso,iie
necessary proceedings Tor the Pullman. ent
OF such violation.
IN June last the commission lnouiren
INTO certain agreements ALLEGED 10 nave
been made between the Virgins Ferry
company, an Illinois corporatiun. and md
ietinina4 Raliroad association OF 81.
Louis, a Missouri corporation, This M
curry disclosed series OF contracts and
tranic aiGilng ements which, In the opin-
ION OF the commission, constituted a clear
case of vocation OF both clauses OF tine
transmitted through the attorney general
10 the United States attorney for the
Eastern district of the Missouri al Of the
papers and evidence which IL had In lis
possession bearing on tho case, with the
request that the persons Offending VINO
were the officers of those corporations,
be indicted. The case was laid before the
grand jury In ST. Louis. but that BODY
failed to lind a true bill.
II Is generally known that q contract
has been agreed upon between the prln-
cipal railroads connecting Chicago with
the Atlantic seaboard, and II Is expected
that such n contract will hs. ,,,,t IL, rn...,.