The herald., 1897-12-02

brake attachments. He Onered as IN
principal reason why the roads should
not fully comply the Industrial depres
sion which followed the passage of thu
act of 1898, which, he said, had rendered
them financially unable to comply will
the law.
He contended that the law was de-
fective and congress recognized this b.
giving the commission the power to sus
pend it's operation. The single question
presented to the commission, he argued
was the method and extent of extension
because, unless an extension was grant
ed interstate commerce must cease. HI
urged that the extension be for fiv:
years, with provision for an equipment
| of one-fifth Of the cars each year, thu:
working up to full and complete COM
pliance He further said that it cost
from $4,000, 900 to $50, 900, 600 for the rail
roads to comply with the law. This
money must be earned. If the commits
sion declined an extension the road:
would be absolutely unable to equir
their cars out Of their own resources
The cost, he said, must come out of thu
employees if the roads were to be driver
beyond their financial ability.
| 1It percentage VI tQuiPPSo Sai . Ao2
the control of trains ranged, according
to estimates given by experts present
from 20 to GO per cent.
p. II. Morrissey, representing the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, the
Railroad Conductors association, the
Locomotive Engineers, Locomotive Fire
men and the ssociation Of Railroad
| Telegraphers, followed Mr.. owen with
a forcibe presentation of the attitude
of the railroad employees toward the
| solicited extension.
| During the past five years 2000 rail-
road men have been killed annually and
between 10000 and $4,000 injured OF
those casualties sixty per cent were di-
rectly attributed to The very evils this
law was designed to correct. The
slaughter would continue as long as the
present conditions remained. He
thought something should be done with
the roads which had utterly disregarded
the law. He replied rather heatedly to
the intimation of wage reduction thrown
out by Mr.. Cowen.
"I speak in no defiant spirit" said he.
'but 1 want to say that wSen the ques-
ton of a reduction of wages is presented
to us we will meet it. If the alternative
of reducing wages or the manning and
death of its members were presented to
the organizations which I represent I
do not hesitate to say that they would
prefer to go out and equip the roads
themselves"
Mr.. Loomis of the New York Central
whose road has complied fully. asked
for the extension on the ground that the
commission could not contemplate such
an interruption of traffic as must follow
the inability of his and other roads to
haul unequipped cars.
The several roads which had fully
complied those which had 70 and 100
per cent of their cars equipped and
those with between 70 and rs per cent
were called, and the representatives Of
each gave an estimate of time in which
the work of complying with the law
could be completed. After brief recess
Mr.. julius Rosendale Of Philadelphia,
on behalf of himself and many eminent
divnes whom he said he represented,
and among WHOM he mentioned Cardinal
Gibbons, entered protest against
granting an extension of time.
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, Joined
Mr.. Morrissey's protest against any
undue extension of the time for COM
pliance with the law.
Mr.. Clarke, representing the Chicago,
Great Western, said his company could
not afford and had not the facilities to
equip the unequipped cars with couplers
within one year. There We're about 5000
of these.
"What were the earnings Of your road
last year," asked Commissioner Prouty.
cover s4,oOO,OOO."
"Why could not the road apply 100000
next year to equipping it's cars with
couplers?"
"It would not be economical" replied
Mr. Clarke.
The railroads whose equipment was
below SO per cent We're called and the
counsel of particular roads in any cases
explained the reasons why more progress
had not been made.
The hearing today closed with some
what sensational exchange between Mr..
Cowen and Mr. Morrissey as to whom the
latter represented. Soon after the hear
ing was adjourned until tomorrow.
PASS PRIVILEGES
SIOUX CITY, Ia, Dec. 1.-Probably
the most important resolution to be
considered by the National Livestock
exchange at the convention to be held in
this city, Dec. 9, is one relating to the
system of issuing return passes to live
stock shippers who come to market in
charge of livestock.
In consequence of the alleged abuse of
the privilege by the sale of those passes,
the Western Passenger association has
notified shippers that after certain date
the practice of issuing passes will be dis
continued. To avert this move action is
proposed on the part of the National
Livestock exchange with a view to as
sist in removing the cause of complaint.
The proposed resolution urges the
prompt enactment of laws "to suppress
the practice of ticket scalping and con-
fine the sale of railroad tickets to the
properly authorized agents of the trans
portation companies, together with
suitable provision for the redemption by
such companies of unused tickets or
unused portions of tickets presented for
that purpose by the original portion"
A ROAD TO ROSSLAND
MONTREAL, Dec. 1.-President Van
Horne of the Canadian Pacific railway
stated today that the company had de-
cided to build a road of their own to
Rossland, b. c., pushing the work as
rapidly as possible.
THE SUPRA HILL WRECK
ALBUQUERQUE, N. NJ, Dec. IA.
C. Wells, General Superintendent Of the
Santa Fe & Pacific, has received definite
information of the wreck on the Supia