The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-02

and 100 per cent of their cars equipped
and those with between 20 and rs per
cent We're called, and the report of
each gave an estimate of time IN
which the work of complying with the
law could be carried out
After a brief recess, Mr.. Julius
Rosendale of Philadelphia, on behalf
of himself and many eminent divines
whom he said he represented, and
among whom he mentioned Cardinal
Gibbons, entered a protest against
granting any extension of time.
Counsel for various roads which an
nounced the inability of their own
roads to comply with the law within a
brief period, urged the futility of sepa-
ratlnS actlon~dn the case of various
roads They all urged that the roads
be treated as unit and that a gener-
al order of extension be made.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, Joined
IN Mr- Morr1SSey'S protest against any
undue extension of the time for com
pllance with the law. The lives and
lmDS or the railroad employees which
were in peril, he said cried as loud and
appealed as strongly to the commission
as the dividends of the railroads. On
one point Mr.. GOmperS was very en-
phatic. He thought that no extension
whatever should be granted to any
railroad that had paid dividends since
the law was passed
Mr.. Clark, representing the Chicago
Great Western said that his company
could not afford and had not the facil-
tiles to equip the unequipped cars with
couplers within one year. There were
about 5000 of these.
What were the earnings of your
road last year?' asked Commissioner
"over $4OOO.O .Ooo."
''Why could not the road apply $50 600
next year to equipping its cars with
couplers 90
1T would not be economical replied
Mr.. Clark.
The railroads whose equipment was
below 90 per cent were called and the
counsel of particular roads in MANY
cases explained the reason why more
progress had not been made.
Commissioner Knapp asked if the
commission granted an extension for
one year, with the understanding that
one-fifth of the cars should be equipped
in that period, and there should be de-
tauIt, whether they would not then be
the same practical difficulty to face as
existed now. Mr.. Cowen replied in the
affirmative, and insisted that the COM
mission must allow sufficient time. To
grant two years extension for instance,
he said, with the absolute certainty that
the roads could not comply would be a
continuous invitation to the railroads to
default. The hearing closed for the
day with somewhat sensational ex-
change between Mr.. COWen and Mr..
MOrrisSey. Mr.. COwen in closing indig-
nantly repUdiated the idea that Mr..
GOmpers or Mr. MOrrissey in any way
more & Ohio railroad. Those employees,
he declared, had not been consulted and
he resented the quiet assumption of the
labor leaders that they represented the
workers on this road.
He warned the commission against
the humanitarian view urged by these
gentlemen. The perils of the new ap-
pianceS, he said, had not been eStab-
lished. Statistics on his road showed
that they killed more but manned less
than the old system. In business mat
ter he said, with some temper, it is al
ways dangerous to yield to alleged
humanitarian consideration. He used
yelled irony in his reference to Mr..
MOrrissey's assumption of authority.
The latter jumped to his feet when Mr..
COWen sat down. He had tried, he said,
to occupy a dignified attitude through
out the hearing, but, he said, he deemed
it his duty to reply to the inSinuatiOn of
Mr.. CoWen that he did not represent
the railway trainmen. He refused to
be discredited and he denied that he
had assumed authority not invested in
him. E1ghty-nVe per cent of the en-
pIoyes of the Baltimore & Ohio road,
he said, were members of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen and at the
Toronto convention last year he was
unanimously empowered to. state the
position of its members to the inter
state commerce commission Every di-
vision of the Baltimore & Ohio had
been represented at the convention.
Upon that authority, he said, he de-
MED Mr.. Governs statement
4 said the question of a years ex-
tension had never been presented to
the employees of the Baltimore & Ohio,'
interrupted Mr.. Cowen, and 1 repeat
it"
1.-THE Toronto convention retorted
Mr.. Morrissey, voted against any ex-
tension
He then explained further that he
had appealed to the convention not to
tie his hands, but to leave him free to
use his Judgment, and that discretion
had been accorded him.