The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-12-02
BEGGING For TINE
RAILROADS BEFORE THE IN TER.
STATE COMMISSION.

STATE COMMISSION.
Hesitatins Not to AK for ss Much IS Five
Years .slors IN which to Equip Cars
with safety Appliances According TO
law, Pleading Hard Times and the
Fact That Dividends would saf1er and
Maybe ases-Represent.tives OF Rail-
Extension-Some Sensational Passages.
Washington, Dec. The interstate
commerce commission today opened the
hearing of the railroads which have Pc
titioned for an extension o. the time in
which they may comply with the law
OF 1898 requiring them TO equip their
cars and engines with automatic car
couplers, hand rails and brakes. The
representatives Of attorneys of several
hundred railroad. and also of leading
labor organisations we've present john
K. Cowen, one Of the receivers OF the
Baltimore and Ohio. presented the gen.
eral subject to the commission. Pre-
vious 10 MS general presentation Chair
man Morrison OF the commission called
Cor the oral argument of the case OF the
roads which were completely equipped
under the law but which had petitioned
the commission for an extension OF the
time as applied to the case. of other roads
which had not complied. Samuel Hoard,
representing the Boston and Albany,
made a brief argument on this point TO
show tine utter. paralysis OF traffic which
must follow il roads which had COM
piled with the law were compelled to
cease hauling unequipped cars. Mr..
Cowen presented the whole question,
representing in this issue not the Balti-
more and Ohio but the Lake Shore road.
The Lake Shore, ne said, was a pros
porous road and had been able to COM
ply fully with the law, but it was here
uniting with other roads asking for an
extension. The business of the railroads
OF the country was largely unit and
those roads which had equipped their
cars could not haul unequipped cars
without technically violating the law.
Mr.. Cowen said he was chairman OF
committee at this hearing which repre-
scented about 60o,O 900 OF the $4,000 freight
cars engaged in interstate commerce. or
the freight cars OF the country "A LIZ per
cent were now equipped with car coup
lers and SO 1-2 per cent had the addition
al air brake attachment. He offered as
the principal reason why the roads had
not fully complied, the industrial de-
preston which followed the passage Of
the act In 1898, which, ne said, had rem
dered them financially unable to make
the outlay required by the law.
WAGES THREATENED.
He contended that the law as passed
was defective and that congress recos-
nized this by giving the commission the
power to suspend it's operation. The
single question presented 20 the COM
he argued. was the method and
extent OF extensions, because, unless an
extension was granted, interstate COM
merce must cease. He urged that the
extension OF five years, with provision
for an equipment of one-fifth Of the cars
each year, thus working UP TO full and
complete compliance. He further said
that 1t would cost from s4o000,000 to
$50, 100000 for the railroads TO comply
with. the law. This money must BE
earned. II the commission declined an
extension the roads would be absolutely
unable To equip their cars out of their
own resources. The cost. he said. must
come out Of the wages of the employees
il the roads were TO be driven beyond
their financial ability.
The percentage OF equipped cars for
the control of trains ranged, according
to estimates given 10y experts, from 20
to SO per cent.
THE EMPLOYEES SPEAK.
P. H Morrissey, representing the
of Railroad Trainmen, the
Railroad Conductors association, the
Locomotive Engineers, the Brotherhood
Of Locomotive Firemen, and the Asso-
citation OF Railroad Photographers, fol-
lowed Mr.. Cowan with q forcible pre-
sentation OF the attitude Of the railroad
toward the solicited extension.
He agreed with Mr.. Cowen that In
large measure this was a great CONNER
CldL Qucclltil- Inns Jaw nv A4-NiAA
lures Of which were to become operative
on the first Gay OF the new year, ne said.
the heart and conscience Of
the American people, as represented by
their chosen servants in congress. The
associations for which he appeared were
a unit in protesting against any such
unreasonable extension as had been pro
pissed. Five years, ne said, would rem
der the purpose Of the law nugatory.
During the past five years 1000 rail-
road men have been killed annually and
between 10000 and 5000 injured. OF
those casualties Go per cent were direct
~ attributable 10 the two evils this law
was designed 20 correct. The slaughter
would continue as long as the present
conditions remained. He thought some
thing should be done vita roads waich,
being able az least 10 comply partially,
had utterly dis7egarded the law He
replied rather hestedly TO the iutima-
ton 0. wage reduction, thrown out BY
Mr. Cowen-
II speak in no defiant spirit" said
ne. 'sout 1 want to say that when the
question OF a reduction Of wages IS
presented 10 us We viii meet T. Il the
alternative .. reducing wages or the
manning and death Of its members were
presented . the organization which ]
represent. / do not hesitate 20 say that
they would prefer 20 20 out and equip
the roads Ihenselves-'
He called attention 20 the great hnan-
clsI losses the beneficial associations o.
the railroads had sustained In death
and disability claims s. 0oo.oc iad e-een
paid out during me past FIVE years
enough 20 completely equip roai Ike
me Louisville and Nashville.
When prsssed by Chairman Aorrlsof.