The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-10-15
ASK Fos MORE TimE.
Tae BeHrness say They Are Net Read
With Safst7 Appliances.

Tae 8elrnEea say They Are Not Ready
With safst4 Appliances
By far the most important question
which viii come before the Interstate
Commerce commission this fall will be
that Of the extension Of the time in
which The railroads Of the country en-
gagged in interstate commerce must
equip their trains With train-brske
systems and automatic car couplsTs.
The act compelling the railroads to
equip their trains vas passed in the
closing hours Of the Harrison admin
istFatioD after pFotsscted aud bitter
contest. The act was approved March
2, 1898, aud gave the railroads about
five years, OF until January /, 1898, to
comply with the law.
The same act provided that the rail
roads should equip their cars with
hand rails and uniform drsWbars be-
fore July /, 1895. The whole purpose
Of this legislation was to insure greater
safety to passengers and to give great
or security to brakemen and other
railroad employees in coupling and IN
coupling cars. During the Eve years
previous to the passage of the act the
statistics showed that each gear one
employe in every 1873 had been killed
and one in every 81 injured.
Before the time for equipping the
cars with hand rails and drawbaFs had
expired many of the railroads petition
ed the commission for an extension.
This the commission was empowered to
grant, and, after an examination, ex-
tended the time when the opera ton of
that portion of the act relating to hand
rails and draWbars should go into ef-
feet from July l, 1895, to February l,
1896. The commission is now begin
ming to receive petitions asking for an
extension of the time in which the
other sections of the act providing for
automatic cOuplers and train brakes,
shall go into effect and before January
| they must decide this important
question. The railroads ask from one
to ten years longer than the law pro-
Vides. The last report made to the
commission upon their equipment
April /, 1885, shows that the passen
ger trains we're almost entirely equip
ped as required by law, but that only
about one-third of the freight trains
and cars had been provided with the
proper safety appliances. The figures
on that date showed that of the 1891
passenger cars owned by the railroads
of the country, 1884 were equipped
with automatic couplers and 1885,
with train brake appliances.
On the 1,2l7,34O freight cars, 58,41(
we're equipped with automatic coupler;
and 360,3G3 with train brakes. OF the
Sc $3.50 locomotives, freight and psssen
ger, 29,198 we're equipped with the
driving wheel brakes provided for By
the act.
Since the report the work Of repairs
has gone steadily on, but it is doubtful
whether more than 80 OF 60 per cen
are even now supplied with the safet!
! appliances required by law. Should
| the commission decide not to grant al
extension the railroads whose cars ar
not equipped January l, 1898, would b
liable to a fine of 500 for each ant
every offense against the act. By tn
terms Of the law an emplOye injured
by any locomotive, car or train in US,
contrary to its provision shall not b
deemed to have assumed the risk coca
stoned thereby, although continuing Ii
the employment of the road after tht
unlawful use of such locomotive, car o
train has been brought to his knOwl
edge.