Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-10-28
President Of the B. & 0. Before
the Industrial Commission.
A HEALTHY DlSCRIM NATION
He ThinkS the Railroads Should
Have the Right TO make Traffic
and POoIiNg ArrangemenfS-He
Does Not Believe a Law Abolish
Ina the Pass system viii Be
Effective.

Washington, Oct. 27.-In pursuing
it's investigation of railroad traffic
the industrial commission this morn
ing examined John K. Cowen, president
and formerly receiver of the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad company. The COM
pany, according to Mr.. Cowen, employs
$4,000 men on it's own lines. and the
lines in which it is interested employ
many thousands more. They are paid
by the day, week or month, according
to the class of work they perform. As
far as his knowledge went, he said,
the company was not in any agree
ment with any other company or COM
panies to blacklist employees. Twelve
hours is called a days work for train
men, and extra pay is granted for
work over that time. The clerks are
required to work eight and nine hours
a day West Virginia forbids by law
the operation of trains on Sunday, but
there is no interference with the trains
of the Baltimore & Ohio, which are
run as usual. He thought it would be
impossible to stop interstate traffic in
such a manner.
Mr.. Cowen spoke of the establishment
of the relief society for the benefit of
the men, which is supported partly by
the company and partly by the men
Every person who enters the service
of the company is required to con-
tribute to this fund, but the agreement
does not bind the employees to refrain
from suing the company in case of
injury. If he sues and gains his case
he is not entitled to relief from the
fund. He did not believe the compelling
of the men to sign this contract was
violation CT the law of June 1, 1898.
forbidding corporations from conf
pelling their men to join an organiza-
ton fostered by the corporation. 1t
might be a violation of the letter of the
law, he said, but not of the spirit. Mr.
Cowen thought the fund had proved of
great benefit to the men. Money is
loaned from the relief funds to men
desiring to purchase homes or to pay
off mortgages.
was an evil he did not believe it re-
stricted the receipts of railroad COM
panies to any great extent. He thought
the practice should be stopped and the
right of redemption granted the pub
lie. He thought the practice of issuing
passes was diminishing. They were
usually issued to influence trade and
His company issued passes
to members of congress and state
legislators who live along the line of
the Baltimore & Ohio. This, he said.
was merely a matter of courtesy. The
practice has grown until it cannot
now be abandoned. He did not believe
a state or national law prohibiting
he issuing of passes could be made
effective. Personally he would be
pleased to see the abolition of the pres
INT system. A law passed in New
York to abolish the evil resulted in it's
growth.
Mr.. COwen admitted that discrimi-
nation in the matter of freight rates
xisted against individuals and towns.
1e thouSnl thlS was an eNlt Wnlch al
ected shipper, public and railroad
like. He ascribed this condition to
he provision in the interstate COM
nerce law which prohibits the division
# profits on competitive traffic. If the
upreme court had not decided such
Iivision to be Illegal there was no
Oubt in his mind that a system of
ooling arrangements would have been
made which would have been satis-
actory to all. He thought the rail-
DAD companies should have the right
o make traffic and pooling agreements
With one another.
MILWAUKEE, FIRE.