The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-02
BFFRCrIvE RAILROAD INSPECTION.
The State 0ugh. not to Permit Rotten lilies
or defective Machinery.

To the Editor: In view of the numer-
Gus wrecks that are of almost daily oc-
currence in North Carolina-more than
any other State in the Union, l believe
it is well to consider if the inspection
of railroads ought to be made under the
authority of law. l have not made it
subject of minute examination, but | sup
pose we have an average now of two
hundred persons killed and one thousand
MANNED every year in North Carolina.
The voices of their blood cry out from
the ground against any system of laws
that will allow them to continue unin-
vestigated and unpunished. So far as [
am informed, few, If any, coroner's IN
quests have been held over these dead
Nobody has conducted a legal investiga
ton on the spots where the disaster oc
Cured Immediately after the occurrence
to fix the responsibility for the bloodshed.
Nobody has been indicted that / know of
and yet the wrecks go on increasing in
number and destruetivepess.
| believe there is ailttle clause in the
Railroad Commission Law allowing them
to investigate the causes OF wrecks, put
il has always been a dead letter. They
could not investigate one-tenth of them
if they would. They did not even inves-
tigate the one which broke suggestively
into the Penitentiary last year. They
doubtless feel their helplessneSs in tack
ling so great a question and prefer even
TO tackle the question of taxation which
has wrecked so many governments and
kings.
But from this time onward the people
ought to take up the question of having
the roads effectively supervised by law.
Negligently keeping road beds and oper
ating engine and appliances ought to be
made indictable. Putting an incompetent
and untried servant IN a place OF grave
responsibility ought to be indictable. 1t
ought to be made the duty of every con-
stable and deputysheriff OF some other
officers, to inspect road beds, to count
the number of rotten ties IN his town
ship just before each court and report
them to the grand jury. Every grand
jury should have the aid of an expert. l
have heard several railroad men say if
there is only one rotten cross-tie In five,
that is safe railroading. Perhaps that
is mot a very high standard, but let the
standard be fixed so that the public may
know how many rotten ties can co-exist
with safety to the travelling public.
know men who have seen FIVE rotten
cross-ties together.
I have not adverted to the destruction
of at least one million dollars worth of
property by these wrecks. / will not
compare the value of this property with
the value of even one life that is lost
which might be saved, because somewhere
in the bosom of Nature and Natures God
is heaped UP wrath against the day OF
wrath for any people who will allow such
destruction of life to continue.
To that great and increasing class OF
our citizens who, in effect, put property
above life, l would say that the cost of
this INSPECTION will be more than paid
for bv the increased taxes produced by
safer road-beds and by the fines and pen
alties which may be collected for con-
tinued negligence. The railroads will save
one million dollars a year by immunity
from wrecks and lawsuits, the State OF
North Carolina will save one hundred
thousand dollars a year. the court cost
of these law suits to the people at large,
and the widows and orphans and inmates
of poor houses and asylums will be de-
creased by, at least one thousand year.
These are a few facts ana suggestl01is
which | lot down in order to call the at
Ce0IlOn OF Jl6 pSOplS " 49,
which lie within the grasp OF the allgent
and conscientious. The railroads in this
State have discharged in the last two
years enough efficient employees to NIX
and administer a safe standard OF opera
ton.
The people can nominate, and tnen can
out and question, candidates for the Leg
islature so as to insure the enactment OF
proper laws for their protection, ana tnen
they can elect sober and righteous men
to enforce them. If this is not So we
do not hS,e to go to Paudemonlum-we
arc already there. The confusion and
lawlessness, the selfshness and contempt
of life and avarice which finally, accord
ins to HOLY Writ, eliminate in hell, be-
gin in this world.
People talk of the growing lack Of re.
srect for law and the ADMINISTRATION OF
justice in North Carolina. nov eau ~
BE- otherwise when the law fails to ad-
minister relief in our greatest and most