The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-02
Hearing Before the In
terstate Commerce
Commission.
More Time Asked TO Equip.
Railroad Cars Wi h Life +.
Saving Appliances. b.
Railroad Attorney CoWen and Mr.:
Morrissey, the Labor Leader. + /:
Lock Horns. i
speciaI Dispatch to THE. CALI.
CALL OFFICE, RIGGs HoUsE.1
" ASHINGroN Dec. IL (

%
- ~ - " AsHINGToN. Dec. il; Il
TIE Interstate Commerce Com issi@n
to-day opened the hearing Of the rail-
roads which have petftioned for an ex-:
tension of the time in: which they may
comply with the law of 1893 requiring
them to equip their cars and engines With
automatic car-coupIers, bandraiIs and
brakes. The representatives or attorneys
OF several hundred railroads and aisoof
leading labor organizations were present.
John Cowen, one OF The receivers of: the
Baltimore ana Ohio, presented the gem.
eral subject to the commission on behalf
Of the Like Shore Railroad. The business.
OF the railroads OF the country he said,
was largely unit, and those roads which
had equipped their cars could not haul.
:. unequIpped cars without technically vio-
lating the law. r. -. :. ....:.:@- -. =: =.
-. Mr. Ccwen said he was chairman of a:
com mittee at this. hearing w ch repre-
sented about 600. 009 Of the 913, 0o0 freight.
cars engaged III interstate CONNIE ce. OF
: the freightears of the country Al y. De r
.centwere not equipped with car-couplers.
. and 36552 per cent -had.1he additional air
rake. attachments. He eontended that
the; law was defective and Congress rec
ogpized this by giving the com mission.
power to suspend its operation. i )
+, He urged that the 1tension be granted
for five years, with provision for an equip
ment OF one-ffth of the cars each Year,
thus working up to fail cofa pliance. He
further SAID thatlt would cost from $40:
0o00 to S50,0a0,060 for the railroads to
comply with the law. This money must
be earned. If The omn1ission declined an
extension the roaos would be absolutely
unable to equip their cars cut of their own
resource. The cost. he said, must come
out3of tie employees if the roads were to be
driven beyond their financ al bliity. -.
Z. A. Morr ssey, represent ng the Broth
eruood OF Railway Ira nmen, the Rail
road Conductors Association, Tie Loco
motive Engineers, LOGON olive Fitemen
and the Association OF Railroad Tele-
grapheIs, followed Mr.. Cowen. -: =
The associations for which he appeared
were unit In protesting against any such
unreasonable extension as had been pro-:
posed Five years, he said, would re,ICie r
the purpose o. the law nugatory.- During
the past i've years 1000 railroad men have
been killed Annually, and Between 20 coo
and %. 900 injured. OF those CASUAL les 90
per cent were directly attributed TO The
evils this law was Designed; to correct
The slaughter would continue asIong as
the present conditions remained. Here
piled rather heatedlY 10 the intimation OF
wage reduction thrown out by Mr..
Cowen. ~.
Il speak in no defiant spirit, said he,
''but want to say that whenithe question
Ct a red uctiOn OF wages is presen ted TO us
we Tlll meet It. If the alternative of re-
dGcing wages or the manning and death
OF Its mem bers were preseA ed to the or
CARNATIONS which l represent L GO not
hesitate 10 say that they would prefer 10
go out ard equip the roads themselves. ." =
He called attention. 10 the great imam
Ciai- losses the beneficial associations of
the railroads had sustained. In death
and disability claims two million dol
lars: had been paid out during the past
five years. Enough TO com pleiely equip a
road like the Louisville and Nashville.
Mr.. Morrissey said the maximum extern
- sio1 must not exceed year. Mr.. julius
ROSendale of Philadelphia, on behalf oil
himself and many eminent divines whom
ne said he represented, and among whom
be mentioned Cardinal Gibbons, entered a
protest against granting any extension OF
time.
The hearing to-day closed with a som e.
what sensational exchange bttween Mr.
Cowen ana Mr.. Morrissey. Mr.. Cowen
Indignantly repudiated the idea that Mr..
MUIrisSey in anv way represe tied The
employs of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail.
road. These employees, he declared, had
not been consulted, and he resented the
ASSUME tion OF the Ia Dor leaders that they
represented the workers on his road.
Mr.. Morrissey jumped to his feet wher
Mr. Cowen sat down. Eighty-tive pei
cent of the employees OF the Baltimore and
Ohio road, he SAID, were mem ers of tht
brotherhood OF Railway TraInmen, ant
at the Toronto convention last year. b.
had unanimously been empowered to stat,
the position OF lis me mbers 10 the Inter
state Com merce Commission.
II said the question OF a years exten
sion had never been presented to the EN-
ployes of The Baltimore and Ohio" in
terrupted Mr.. Cowen, land l repeat it."
The Toronto convention" re orted Mr.
Morrissey, 'vOiei against any exten ION.
He then explained further that he hat
appealed 10 the convention not to tie hi
hands. but 10 leave him free to use hi
judgment, and that thai discretion ha,
neen accorded him