Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-02
DOWN BRAKES!
Extension Asked in Time ftr
Equipping Railroad Cars
With the Automatic Coup'ers, Hand
Rails and Air Brakes.
Irainmen's Representatives Oppose Any Ex.
tension 70 Exceed One Year.

commerce commission. today. opened the
| hearing of the railroads which have peti-
| toned for an extension of the time in
which they may comply with the law of
1899, requiring them to equip their cars
and engines with automatic couplers.
hand rails and air brakes. The chamber
| in which the commission met was
crowded to the doors. Intense interest
was manifested. % -'-4
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, presented
| the general subject to the commission
| Previous to his general presentation.
| Chairman Morrison of the commission
called for the oral argument of the roads
which We're completely equipped under
the law. but which had petitioned the
commission for an extension of the time
| as applied to the cars of other roads
which had not complied.
Samuel Hoar representing the Boston
& Albany Railroad, made a brief argu-
| paralysis of traffic which must follow il
roads which had complied with the law
| were compelled to cease hauling un-
| equipped cars
| Mr.. Cowan presented at some length
the whole question representing in this
| issue not the Baltimore 4 Ohio but the
| Lake Shore Road. The Lake Shore, he
said. was one of the most prosperous
roads in the country and it had been able
to comply fully with the law. but it was
here uniting with the other roads in ask
ing for an extension. The business of
| the railroads of the country was largely
unit and these roads which had
equipped their cars could not haul un-
equipped cars without technically ViOlat-
ing the law.
Mr.. Cowan said that he was chairman
of a committee at this hearing which rep
resented about 100000 of the 600 freight
cars engaged in Interstate commerce.
The question of the passenger cars, he
said. could be dismissed, as they were
practically all equipped. OF the freight
cars of the country. 4412 per cent. had the
additional air brake attachment. He ar
gued that this was sufficient evidence
that the roads had made an honest effort
to comply with the law.
He urged that the extension be for five
years with provision for an equipment
of one-fifth Of the cars each year. If
could be withdrawn from interstate COM
merce without endangering the transpOr-
tation facilities of the country. He fur
ther said that it would cost from $40 00O,-
OOO to $oOOO0,OOO for the railroads to COM
ply with the law. This money must be
earned. If the commission declined an
extension the roads would be unable to
equip their cars out of their own re-
sources. The money must come out of
the wages of the employees II the roads
were to be driven beyond their financial
ability. .q
Mr.. Cowan. in reply to the commis-
sioner, said that the cost of the couplers
for new cars was from SIS to so and for
old cars probably double that amount.
The percentage of equipped cars for the
control of trains ranged according to
estimates given by experts present, from
% to % per een,L. cent: .
brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the
Railroad Conductors Association, the LO-
motive Engneers. the brotherhood of
of Railroad Telegraph Operators. fol-
lowed Mr.. Cowan with a forcible presen-
tation of the attitude of the railroad en-
ployes toward the solicited extension. He
agreed with Mr.. Cowan that in a large
measure this was great commercial
question but he said it was also a hu-
name question.
This law. the main features of which
We're to become operative on the first
day of the new year. he said. expressed
the heart and conscience of the American
people as represented by their chosen ser
wants in Congress. The associations for
which he appeared were a unit in pro-
testing against any such unreasonable
exter extension niaI as has has been proposed. FIVE
law nugatOry. The past five years had
been especially hazardous to employees.
owing to the lack of uniformity in car
equipments.
During the past five years 1000 railroad
men had been killed annually and 10000
to 10000 injured. OF these casualties 60
per cent. were directly attributable to the
two evils. this law was designed to cor
rect. The slaughter would continue as
long as the present conditions remained.
rads e ea wnr no. heeNe ahs es fa
had complied with the law should be
punished. But he did think something
should be done with the roads which had
utterly disregarded the law. He replied
heatedly to the intimation of wage re-
duction thrown out by Mr.. Cowan.
81 speak in no defiant spirit he said.
tion of reduction of wages is presented
to us we will meet it. If the alternative
OF reducing wages or the manning and
to tltp organizations which represent
roads themselves" The railroad men
We're willing to concede something. The
railroad employees were firm that the
maximum extension must not exceed a
year.
Mr.. Morrissey challenged the state
cars. He gave $1i as the cost and was of
the opinion that 65 per cent. of the cars
with the driving brakes could
control trains except in mountain re-
gions
Ex-senator Butler of South Carolina,
on behalf of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad,
Mr.. Loomis of the New York Central.
whose road has complied. G. A. Rhodes
Of the c. y. g. O.. and ex-COngressman
Harrison of Alabama. argued in favor
Of an extension.
half of himself and many eminent d.
vines. whom he said he represented and
among whom he mentioned Cardinal Glib
)ons, entered a protest against granting
any extension of time.
Counsel who announced the ability of
heir own roads to comply with the law,
Urged the futility of separate action In
he case of the various roads. They all
Urged that general order of extension
,e made. The representative of the
Cleveland, Lorraine & Wheeling suggested
hat the committee grant an uncondI-
ional extension of one year for One-fifth
If the equipment OF the road and at the
md of each year following, the fifth of
.ach years extension for an additional
fifth. Then, in case of the default Of any
oad, 1t could be made to suffer the PEN
lty. This plan. ne thought. would avoid
he question Of the commissions power
o impose conditions.
Samuel Gompers, president of the Amer
can Federation of Labor. joined Mr..
in protesting against any un-
ue extension of the time for compliance
With the law. Upon one point Mr.. Com
ers was very emphatic. He thought
hat no extension should be granted to
ny railroad that had paid dividends since
he law was passed.
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