The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-02
SAFETY DEVICE LAW THIS
YEAR,
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION.
HEARD BY THE COMMERCE.
COMMISSION
BE Reduced-COwen and Nor
rissey Clash.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The inter-
state commerce commission today
opened the hearing Of the railroads
which have petitioned for an extension
of the time in which they may COM
ply with the law Of 1892 requiring them
to equip their cars and engines with
automatic car couplers, hand rails and
air brakes. The representatives or at
torneyS of several hundred railroads
and also of leading labor organizations
were present, and the chamber in which
the commission met was crowded to
the doors. Intense interest was mani
tested John K. CoWen, one of the re-
ceiVers of the Baltimore & Ohio, pre-
scented the general subject to the COM
mission. Previous to his general pres
entation Samuel Hoar, representing the
Boston & Albany, made a brief argu-
ment to show the utter paralysis of
traffic which must follow, if roads
which had complied with the law were
compelled TO cease hauling unequipped
cars. Mr.. CoWen presented at some
length the whole question, representing
in this issue not the Baltimore & Ohio,
but the Lake Shore road. The Lake
Shore, he said was one of the most
prosperous roads in the country and it
had been able to comply fully with the
law, but it was here uniting with the
other roads in asking for an extension.
! The business of the roads of the coun-
try was largely a unit, and those roads
which had equipped their cars could
not haul unequipped cars without tech
nin9llW viola tino. tho n CnJxvaro
said that he was chairman of a COM
mittee at this hearing which represent
ed about 100000 of the 993, 900 freight
cars engaged in Interstate commerce.
The question Of the passenger cars he
said, could be dismissed, as they were
practically all equipped Of the freight
cars of the country, 551a per cent were
now equipped with car couplers and
1872 per cent had the additional air
brake attachment He argued that this
was sufficient evidence that the roads
had made an honest effort to comply
with the law. He offered as the prin-
cipal reason why the roads had not
complied fully the industrial depression
which followed the passage of the act
in 1893, which, he said, had rendered
them financially unable to make the
outlay required by the law.
FIVE YEAR EXTENSION.
He urged that the extension be for
five years, with provision for an equip
ment of one-fifth of the cars each year,
thus working UP to- full and complete
compliance. If there was then default.
cars not equipped, he said, could be
Withdrawn from interstate commerce
Wi do Two,
facilities of the country. He further
said 1t would cost from $4,000, 900 to
$50, 000,0 900 for the railroads to comply
with the law. This money must be
earned. If the commission declined an
extension, the roads would be abso-
lutely unable to equip their cars out
of their own resources. The cost, he
said must come out of the wages of
the employees, If the roads were to be
driven beyond their financial ability.
The percentage of equipped cars for the
control of trains ranged according to
estimates given by experts present
from 20 to so per cent.
P. II. Morrissey, representing the
Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen,
Railroad Conductors association, the
Locomotive Engineers, the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Firemen and the
Association Of Railroad Telegraphers
followed Mr.. Cowen with a forcible
presentation of the attitude of the
railroad employees toward the solicited
extension. He agreed with Mr.. Cowen
that in a large measure this was a
great commercial question. This law,
the main features of which were to be-
come operative on the first day of the
new year, he said represented the
heart and conscience of the American
people as represented by their chosen
servants in congress- The associations
for which he appeared were a unit in
protesting against any such unreason-
able extension as had been proposed.
Five years, he said, would render the
purpose of the law nugatory.
THE OTHER SIDE.
During the past five years 1000 rail-
road men have been killed annually
and between 10000 and $4,000 injured.
OF these casualties 60 per cent were
directly attributable to the two evils
this law was designed to correct. The
slaughter would continue as long as
the present conditions remained. He
thought something should be done with
roads which being able at least to
comply partially had utterly disregard
ed the law. He replied rather heatedly
to the intimatiOn of wage reduction
thrown out by Mr.. Cowen.
Il speak in no defiant spirit said
he, "but 1 want to say that when the
question of a reduction of wages is
presented to us we will meet it. If the
alternative of reducing wages or the
manning and killing of members We're
represented to the organization which 1
represent, do not hesitate to say that
they would prefer to go out and equip
the roads themselves"
He called attention to the great fl
nancial losses the beneficial companies
of the railroad associations had sus-
tanned. In death and disability claims
81, 600. 600 had been paid out during the
past five years, enough to completely
equip a road like the Louisville &
Nashville.
When pressed by Chairman Morri-
son. Mr.. Morrissey replied that the
railroad employees agreed that the max
imum extension must not exceed
year.
Mr.. Lewis, of the New York Central.