The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-02
VIEWS OF LABOR LEADERS
LIVELY TILT BETWEEN MIR. NORRIS
SEY AND ATTORNEY COwEN.
Former Strongly Opposed to Granting
Five Years Additional Tfme-Ar-
NOR Factory Boards Report.


they may comply with the law of 1898 re-
curing them to equip their cars and en-
gines with automatic car couplers, hand
rails and air-brakes. The representatives
or attorneys of several hundred railroads,
and also of leading labor organizations,
were present, and the chamber in which the
commission sat was crowded to the doorss
Intense interest was manifested. John X.
Cowen one of the receivers of the Balti.
more & Ohio Railroad, presented the gem
eral subject to the commission. Previous
to his general presentation Chairman Nor
rison, of the commission called for the
oral argument 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
cars of other roads which had not COM
piled.
Samuel Hoar, representing the Boston ~
Albany road, made a brief argument on
this point to show the utter paralysis OF
traffic which must follow if roads which
had complied with the law were compelled
to cease hauling unequipped cars
Mr.. Cowen presented at some length the
whole question, representing in this issue
not the Baltimore & 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 asking for an ex-
tension. The business of the railroads OF
the country was largely a unit, and those
roads which had equipped their cars could
not haul unequipped cars without techni-
cally violating the law. Mr. Cowen said
that he was chairman of a committee at
this hearing which represented about Co.,
of bea
interstate commerce. The question of the
passenger cars, he said, could be dismissed.
as they were practically all equipped. or
the freight cars of the country, 44Ik per
cent. were now equipped with car couplers
and S6lz per cent. had the additional air.
brake attachment He argued that this
was sufficient evidence that the roads had
made an honest effort to comply with the
whv ,1M, +ha re r6 onered as the principal reason
industrial depression which followed the
passage of the act in 1898 which, he said.
make the outlay required by the law. He
cOntended that the law as PASSED was de-
IIectve and that Congress recognized this
by giving the commission the power TO eus-
pend its operation.
COST OF THE CHANGE
The single question presented to the com-
mission Mr.. Cowen argued was the method
and extent of extension, because unieas am
extension was granted interstate commerce
must cease He urged that the extension
be for five years, with provision for an
equipment of one-ffth of the cars each
year thus working up to full and completes
compliance. If there was then default cars
not equipped, he said, could be withdrawn
from the interstate commerce without en-
dangering the transportation facilities OF
the country. He further said that II wouia
from IN for flaa
roads to comply with the law This money
must be earned If the commission de-
cltned an extension the roads would be alb
solutely unable to equip their cars out OF
their own resources. The cost he said
must come out of the wages of the employees
II 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 by
experts present, from 20 to so per cent.
+. +. Morrissey, representing the Broth
erhood of Railroad Trainmen, the Railroad
gineers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Ffremen and the Association of Railway
Telegraphers followed Mr.. Cowen with q
forcible presentation of the attitude of the
railroad employees toward the solicited ex-
tension He agreed with Mr.. Cowen that in
a large measure this was a great CONNER
cial question. This law, the main features
of which were to become operative on the
first day, of the new year, he said, repre-
Sented the heart and conscience of the
American people represented by their
chosen servants in Congress. The associa-
a
in protesting against any such unreason-
able extension as had been proposed. Five
years. he said, would render the purpose of
the law nugatory. During the past i've
years 1900 railroad men have been killed
annually and between 10000 and 25,O00 in-
jured. OF these casualties so per cent. were
directly attributable to the two evils this
law was designed to correct. The slaughter
would continue as long as the present con-
should be done with roads which, being able
at least to comply partly, had utterly disre-
garded the law.
the intimation of wage reduction thrown
out by Mr.. Cowen; Il speak IN no oenant
when the question of reduction of wages
Ii presented to us we will meet it, III the
alternative of reducing wages or the maim-
ing anu death of its members We're present.
ed to the organizations which ! represent
/ do not hesitate to say that they would
prefer to go out and equip the roads them
FINANCIAL LOSSES.
He called attention to the great financial
losses the beneficial associations of the
railroads had sustained. In death and dis
ability claims $2OO0OOO had been paid out
during the past five years. enough to COM
pletey equip road like the Louisville &c
Nashville.
When pressed by Chairman Morrison, Mr..
Morrissey replied that the railroad en-
ployes agreed that the maximum extension
proposition of the railroads made by Mr.
Cowen Mr.. Morrissey asked IL the comsnis-
sion in granting an extension had the DOW
er to impose conditions.
II am sorry to say" replied Chairman
Morrison that there some things the
commission does not know, and that is ona
of them Ex-senator Butler. of South Car-
olina on behalf of the Mobile * Ohio Rail-
road, a member of the Senate at the
time of the passage OF the act confirmed
Mr.. Cowen's statement that the law was
tentative.
Mr.. Loomis of the New York Central
whose road has complied fully. asked for
the extension on the ground that the COM
mission could not contemplate such an in
terruption of traffic mast follow the in
ability of his and other terminal roads Ia
haul unequipped cars
G. A. Rhodes, representing the mechan-
ical department of the c.. b. q O. urred
as an additional reason for an extension
that haste would put a premium on ennfr-
ment Of cars within effectual safety an
piiances.
E1-Congressman Harrison OF Alabama
made the point that the yellow fever Il,
the south had been a severe strain on