Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-12-02
SAFETY APPLIANCES on RAILWAYS.
Roads and Employees Represented Before
the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Roads and Employees Represented Before
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Washington, Dec. c.2.-Hearings regard
Ing an extension of time to railways to
equip their cars with life-saving ap-
pliances began yesterday before the in
trestate commerce commission, a num-
ber of railway representatives being
present. together with the chiefs of the
various railway labor unions. John X.
Cowen. a receiver OF the Baltimore and
Ohio. was the chief speaker for the
railways. The single question presented
To the commission. he argued. was the
method and extent OF the extension,
because unless an extension was
granted interstate commerce must
cease. He urged that the extension be
for five years. with provision for ar
equipment of one-fifth of the cars each
YEAR, thus working up to full and COM
plete compliance. He further said IL
would cost from $40, ,000. 900 to So. 600. 900
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.
p. II. Morrissey. representing general
~ the railway employees unions. said
that the associations for which he ap-
peared 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. During the past five years
1000 railroad men have been killed an
| nually and between 10000 and 5000
Injured. OF these casualties 60 per cent.
We're directly attributable to the two
| evils this law was designed to cor
] rect. He replied rather heatedly to the
iatimation Of wage reduction thrown
out by Cowen. 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
| H." He insisted that the maximum
extension must not exceed q year.
The hearing closed with a somewhat
sensational exchange between Cowen
and Morrissey. Cowen in closing warm
ly repudiated the idea that Gompers or
Norrissey In any way represented the
employees Of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. Those employees. he declared,
had not been consulted. and he resented
the quiet assumption Of the labor lead
ers that they represented the workers
on the road. He warned the commission
against the humanitarian view urged
by these gentlemen. The perils Of the
new appliances he said had not been
established. Statistics on his road
showed that they killed more, but
MANNED less than the old system. In q
business matter. he said with some
temper. 1t was always dangerous to
I ,..eld to alleged humanitarian consid-
| eratIcGs. He used no veiled irony In his
| references 70 Norrissey's assumption Of
authority.
The latter jumped to his feet when
Cowen sat down. He had tried. he
eaid. to occupy a dignified attitude
thrOushout the hearing. He did not de-
sire to give cffense. and he had main
tanned sileuee while the statements Of