The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-03
RAILROAD NEWS.
Railroads Ask for Five Years
More Time
In Which to Comply With the
Car Coupler Law.
L. & N.PR RESIDEN I
Declared the Time Was Coming
When the People
Would Have Confiscatf0n and
Government Ownership.

washington Dec s-Tha hearing
given by the interstate commerce com
mission 10 the representative Of the
railroads which have petIt1oued fOr an
extension of time IN which TO eouply
with the new coupler law passed n
1881 was resumed today
william Brown general solicitor OF
Ll1e Chicago and Alton railroad repl1=1
AT soma length TO the protest made by
Mr. CfOmpers yesterday against any
extension TO roads which had made no
effort to comply with the law He
SPOKE hs said. for the stockholders Of
the railroads. who were as mUcn eutl-
tied 10 receive their dividends as t1e
Eab0rers wOrkiuE for the COMPANY were
20 their daily wages On behalf OF 5U0
employees Of his road. Mr. Brown also
presented TO the commission a DetItIO1
for r6as1ua bic extension. II was
practical and physical IupossfbIlIry-
Ire said 10 comply with the law To
grant & reasonable extension would
bring every FUad- especially trunk IzEes
into active sympathy with the law, 70
refuse would be 70 pu1-sh those VINO
had complied
roads rendered their excuses 70 the
commission and IT such instances s.
tiEulEed the time required for the fun
equipment of their individual lines Al
united however. in the request Of Mr..
C0Weu FOR general i've year eZE=u-
SION Lack Of funds reduced earnings.
want Of shop facilities ana the 6lfH-1ItE
OF Determining TIE safest and most
economical app lIzuce were rEe MAN
reasons advanced fer deIIuqueucizs-
EL-E-c-Eressuau Favsou. Of Illinois
representing the S0utE@rn Pacific road.
III uhe course Ce his remarks. suggested
that Ile commission make the follow
iEE rough draft OF al C-der O. exuan-
s-5G-
The period within which every com
mo. carrier owning cars IN interstate
rraGlc shan comply with the provisions
OF the act of congress entitled ETC. is
hereby extended 10 January l. 1865 buC
provided that any suca common car
r1eTs in default as 10 equipment with
cpuDIars or with train brakes re-
4ulreG III said zct- II whole or II part
January L 1888. sEau during each cal
e11ar year thereafter make good
At least twenty ger cent Of such eIeEauIt
II elg1D u1sut OF ii default of sucl par
t1zl performance the PROVISIONS Of SAID
act shaII be applicable 10 All cars II
Such Cu111I01 carriers not pro perry
equipped under said act New cars
shan Dr. pro perIT equipped before Use.
II the Afternoon session President
Smith II rh@ l. & n II the course Of
his explanation Of the deIiuqueucv o.
Eis E0aL expressed The opinion that tEe
time was coming WEzu the people of
this country would demand the co1Es-
cation and government ownership Of
railroads
WhlIe President Thomas of the Nash
vile. Chattanooga and - Louis road
vas addressing t6e COMMITTEE Char
man Morrison asked wat the raad
would do in the matter IN compliance
with C1e law Il their earnings id zoe
increase
Mr. Thomas created much u1srriuaeut
hT replying that his c0uddeEcz II com
lng prosperity has been 50 great that he
rad broken the record of q lifetime and
rad voted for lIckTETey
" Zen q southern nan does that he
saI1 EEs faith i absol4re'
Questions asked by the corurulssTar n
IS Developed the faCE that ten uer cent
Of th= freight cars uoE in service we're
1aE worth equipment These ears
E751id be retired 1ur-ug the period o.
eEZsl=5I
A111- others who addressed tra
commission was l. : CgEln- formerly
e1 EE= aEcEFa railr1ad commission wzo
co1tz1daI tEzt EEe e0Elulssiczers- du-
= vas 70 ez=cuLz TIE law that TIE eE-