The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-04
Railway Safety Appliances.

Railway Safety Appliances.
Before the Interstate Commerce COM
mission at Washington on Wednesday
hearing was granted to representa-
tives of railroads that wish for an eX-
tension of time in which to equip their
rolling stock with safety appliances.
The hearing resulted in the disclosure
of much interesting information.
For the railroads President COwen,
of the Baltimore and Ohio, was the
chief speaker. He noted that of the
freight cars of the country 44R per
cent. were now equipped with car
couplcrs. and 36ia per cent. had the
additional air-brake attachment He
argued that this was sufficient evidence
that the roads had made an honest cf-
fort to comply with the law. He Of
fered as the principal reason why the
roads had not complied fully the in
dustrial depression which followed the
passage of the gafety-COuplor act of
1898, which, he said, had rendered them
financially unable to make the outlay
required by the law. While, perhaps.
here and there a railroad had shown
no disposition to comply with the law,
as n whole thev had made fair at
tempt to do so. He urged that the eX-
tension he for five years, with prOvis-
ion for an equipment Of one-flfth of the
cars each wear. thus working up to
full and complete compliance. If there
was then default. cars not equipped,
ha cnih hp urit Hra in
tcrstate commerce without endanger-
ing the transportation facilities of the
country. He further said that it would
cost from $4,000, 900 to $50, 900 for
the railroads to comply with the law.
This money must be earned. If the
commission declined an extension the
roads would be absolutely unable to
equip their cars out of their own re-
sources. The cost, he said, must come
out of the wages of the employees If the
roads were to he driven beyond their
financial ability.
To this plea p f. Morrissev. repre-
senting the Brotherhood OF Railway
Trainmen. the Railroad Conductors
| association, the Locomotive Engineers,
| the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and the Association of Railroad
photographers, offered a spirited reply.
The associations for which he appeared
were a unit in protesting against any
such unreasonable extension as had
been proposed. Five years. he said,
would render the purpose of the law
| nugatory. The past five years, he said,
had been especially hazardous TO rail-
road employees, owing to the lack of
uniformity in car equipment. This con-
| ditiOn should cease as soon as possible.
| During the past five years 1000 rail-
road men had been killed annually
| and between 10000 and $4,000 injured.
| OF these casualties 60 per cent. We're
directly attributable to the two evils
| this law was designed to correct. To
| the intimation of wage reduction
| thrown out by Mr.. Cowen, he replied
| rather warmly: Il speak in no defiant
| spirit" said he, but | want to say
that when the question OF a reduction
| of wages is presented to us we will
meet it. If the alternative Of reduc-
| ing wages or the manning and death
| of its members were presented to the
| organizations which / represent, ! dc
not hesitate to say they would prefer
to go out and equip the roads them
selves"
| A difference in estimates as to the
cost of safety appliances was disclosed
in the course TO the discussion. Mr.
Cowen said that the cost of couplers
| for new cars was from $lS to 500 and
| for old cars probably double that
| amount, The percentage of equipped
cars necessary for the control of trains
ranged, according to estimates giVer
| by experts present from 20 to 60 pei
cent. Mr.. Morrissey, ON the Other
hand, gave $l4 as the cost, and was OF
the opinion that 25 per cent. of the cars
equipped with the driving brakes would
| control trains, except in mountain re-
gions. This discrepancy in expert tes
timony concerning a matter easily in
vestigated Is important as giving the
commission an opportunity to ascer
tain which side has sought to misrep
resent before it. The side discovered
in such an attempt would natural!
and properly be discredited, upon tn,
principle that he who would deliber
ately falsify i'm one thing could not bt
trusted to speak truly concerning any
thing else.
We have none of the prejudice now
adays quite prevalent against rail
roads, and desire that their manage
ments shall be treated fairly and hon
orably in legislation. But this pre-
supposes that the railways in return
will deal fairly with the public. Thei
course in the matter Of failing to com
ply with the safety coupler law bear
many indications of wilful contemp
both of the federal statutes and o
public opinion. II an extension 4
granted It should only he on accoun
Of the undeniable hard times OF tn