Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-02
Mr.. PAYSON'S SUGGESTION
Drafts an Order Giving the Railways
Time.
Required to Complete One-Fifth of
Their Safety Appliance Equip
ment Each Year.

The hearing given by the interstate COM
merce commission to the representatives of
the railroads, which have petitioned for an
extension of time in which to comply with
the car coupler law passed in 1893, was re-
sumed today.
William Brown, general solicitor of the
Chicago and Alton railroad, replied at some
length to the protest made by MIR. Com
pers yesterday against any extension to
roads which had made no effort to comply
with the law. He spoke, he said, for the
stockholders of the railroads who. he said,
were as much entitled to receive their
dividends as the laborers working for the
companies were to their daily wages. On
behalf OF 800 of the employees of his road
MIR. Brown also presented to the commits
SION petition for reasonable extension.
II was a practical and physical impossible
1ty TO comply with the law. To grant a
reasonable extension would bring every
road, especially trunk lines, into active
sympathy with the law; to refuse would be
10 punish those who had complied.
In reply to questions Mr. Brown expressed
II as his opinion that the commission would
exhaust its power If it granted an extern
sion that 1t would have no power to cou-
pie an extension with conditions
AT the conclusion of Mr. Browns re-
marks representatives of other delinquent
roads rendered their excuses to the COM
mission and in each instance estimated
the time required for the full equipment
OF their individual lines. All united, how
ever. IN the request of Mr.. Cowen for
general hVe-year extension. Lack of funds
reduced earnings. want of shop facilities
ard the difficulty of determining the safest
ana most economical appliance were the
main reasons advanced for delinquenc;es
Representative Payson of Illinois, repre-
sentinS the Southern Pacific road, in the
course of his remarks suggested that the
commission make the following rough
draft of an order of extension:
The period within which every common
carrier owning cars used in interstate traf-
iic shall comply with the provisions of the
act of Congress, entitled, &c. is hereby
extended to January 1. 1893; but, provided
that any such common carrier in default
as to equipment with couplers or with
train brakes as required in said act in
whole or in part. Janury 1, 1895 shall
during each calendar year thereafter make
good at least 20 per cent OF such default
in equipment, or in default of such partial
performance the provisions of said act
shall be applicable to all cars of such COM
mon carrier not properly equipped under
said act All new cars shall be properly
equipped before USE
statement made by Mr. Payson to the
effect that Mr. Morrisey and the other Off
Gals of organized la Dor present did not rep
resent the employees of the Southern Pacific
drew from Mr.. Morrsey plea for fair play
in the hearing. He deprecated the insinua-
tons, the threats and the attempts to dis
credit the credited powers of the labor rep
resentatives in which he said some of the
railroad men had INDUCED. and assured
both the commission and the railroad men
that he and his associates desired onIy
justice to all interests