The Worcester spy., 1898-12-27


lie opinion are closing in on the Off
cials of the mighty Worcester and Su-
burban Street Railway. In vain the
directors refuse to discuss last Wed
nesday's tragedy for publication; in
vain has President Watson talked him
self blue in the face in an attempt to
turn Doc" Smith ana the residents of
Leicester from the error of their ways;
in vain have conductors and motormen
been cautioned against even dreaming
of that fatal accident down at the foot
of Leicester hill, in vain have the in
quisitive minions of the press been
given the icy eye ana marble heart,
in vain have the cars been landed safe
ly on switches and held there until
other cars appeared in sight regard
less of time, in vain all these precau-
tions, public sentiment is aroused and
public sentiment like a nest of hornets
can't be quieted wnen once aroused.
Like the prisoner tafo-e his judge,
the Worcester and Suburban Street
Railway has been summoned before the
bar of public opinion to render an ac-
count Of the management of a road
which has cost two lives. and under
it's present system Of operation may
cost more. That there has been laXity
and want of management IN the con-
duct of the road is no longer a. ques-
tion; the question now, is fixing the re-
sponsibility. Public opinion as gen.
eral thing does not fix the blame upon
Superintendent Gorman or Assistant
/ superintendent BoliedU. So faS as can
be learned, these men seem to have
done their duty, and all recognize the
fact that they have been greatly
handicapped by the alleged economical
policy pursued by the board OF direc-
tors. Want of proper system backed
by an injudicious surtailment of ex-
penses is the sole cause of last weeks
fatality on the Leicester road, not Hi
'ney, nor Calvin, nor even the fog.
Without an adequate force of men and
the small force employed paid bare liy-
ing wages, with no money used for
turnouts or double tracks and poor
preparations for an emergency neither
superintendent German or his assist
ant could have prevented tnat fatality
had they been cousins 20 the angel Ga
briel. 1t was a natural development
from cause to effect as certain and as
sure as the rising of the sun or the
going down thereof.
There is nothing which shows more
clearly the combined defects which go
to account for that accident
than the regular schedule Of running
time in force on all divisions of the
road. The Spy has with some Difficult
ty procured a copy of that schedule in
spite Of the watchfulness of the over
anxious officials, and great pleasure is
taken this morning in presenting to the
people of Worcester not only the de-
tailed schedule, but abstracts from the
rules and regulations which have also
been closely guarded by the nickel-loV-
ing, public-hating directors of the
mighty Worcester and Suburban.
The most marked thing about the
schedule is the time put in by the differ
ent sets of men, and when it is known
that liz cents per hour is the rate paid
new or spare" men, and 20 cents per
hour the highest paid men who have
been with the road for years, the Won
der of 1t all increases. For instance,
Calvin and Hiney, the conductor and
motorman now under arrest charged
with manslaughter, We're known as
set g. and We're putting in 9 hours
and so minutes per day. Think Of it
Not 10 hours, but hours and 50 min
utes! Those other 10 minutes they had
Tor play-time, and of course the COM
pany, the mighty Worcester and Subur-
ban Company, with some box cars. less
Vestlbule cars, and 10 miles of railroad,
couldn't think of paying for 10 minutes
worth of work which they didn't get.
and especially when it comes at 20
cents per hour. The highest rate paid
on the different divisions of the COM
p2ny is 20 cents per hour, and few men
on the road put in, in regular schedule
time, even the 10 hours, although some
do overtime on late extras and Sunday
specials
1t is asserted upon good authority
that some of the men were running on
the afternoon extras, or ten-ninute
cars, as they are called average SO
cents per day. On week days these
cars are started at 3.15 .. m on sun
days at LIS p. m; and on Saturdays. at
/. 20 p. m, running at 1.25 doubling with
the regular at 1.35, 1.55 and 215. Dur
ing the Christmas season the Saturday
time for these cars is in effect on week
days They are operated by six sets
of men, and furnish minute time
from the city line. From the schedule
the munihcent amounts given each set
of men can readily be figured.
One peculiar thing about the sched-
ule is the fact that the distance of eight
miles between Leicester and Worcester
is covered in so minutes, while 80 min
utes is needed to cover the distance of
five miles between Leicester and Spen-
Ger. In the afternoon SO minutes is ta-
ken in the distance between Leicester
and Worcester.
The rules which have been issud by
Superintendent German are very fair
and offer no loophole of escape for any
man who fails TO perform his duty, |
as will be seen from quotations from
them presented herewith. The rule
in regard to waiting hve minutes ON
switches makes no provision for going
ahead slowly" as has been erroneous |
ly reported within the last few days.
Yesterday was a busy day for both
sides in the legal contest which is 10