The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-02-13
RAIL ROAD BILL KILLED.

The State Senate Refuse to Limit
the Hours OF Labor.
On Wednesday Mr.. JIydrick's bill
TO regulate tue daily hours or service
of employees Of railroads and railway
companies doing business In this
State" with Il majority unfavorable
and minority favorable report with
amendments, WIS next taken up in
the Senate. The debate which en-
sued was made principally on the
amendment to limit the hours to u
instead Of 10 hours.
Mr.. Hydrick explained why he
thought the measure necessary. These
employees are under great corporations
and knowing that their daily bread is
dependent upon their labor must
necessarily bow TO oppression, rcaliZ-
ing full we'll that on the slightest
complaint they swill be hustled out
and other men put into their places.
The bill, said Mr.. IIydrick, is sim
ply to provide that no railway en-
plOyc shall work more than - hours
each day without extra compensation
and in cases Of emergency when his
services are demanded there Is pro-
vision TO collect his extra compensa-
tiOn by suit ncceSSaryf
hIr. Sheppard said no bill introduced
deserved Il more speedy rejection than
tIlIC JI0 fslo 81 rt
paternaliSm in it's worse shape. 1t
differs from the child labor bill in that
it attempts to interfere with the con
tracts made between adults and cor
porations. These men knew full we'll
the conditions that would be imposed;
they are not in any way bound to re-
main in their pScSent position and
more than that it is an immoral
thing to advise n man to break his
contract 4 BY. bringing. suit for, the
overtime, besides giving the right, to
annnl that contract by suit which he
would be permitted to bring any time
within six Year,. AS Il matter Of en-
colraging litigation this bill has no
superior and would be gricvouS to the
railroads and he believed it's rejection
duty the senate owed to the people.
MIR. j. w. RagSdale said that he was
undecided rs TO how he would vote on
the bill until he had heard the argu-
mcnts of Mr.. Sheppard and now he
was empha tically in favor Of it. Mr..
Ragsdalc told how the train crews
were often sent out on duty at Flor
encc just after return from a long and
tedious trip and he knew that their
condition was such that they were not
capable of assuming the responsible
Ties dcvolving upon them. tiS duty
the generally assembly owed to the
travelling public aud the families de
pendent upon them. There are no
positions more trying than that of a
railroad man and TO discharge his du-
Ties Alright hc Should be in the best
possible physical condition. Mr.. Rags
dale also referred to the operators
along the line and the long hours they
are often required to work.
Mr.. laySor thought it dangerous
thing to attempt TO interfere in con
tracts between adults and told OF tie
differences between the hours OF work
in the busy and dull seasons. 1t would
be too much To keep two sets Of men
ShipioS tu 'tlttt 'tS al PcltCTal IttlC the
men would prefer to do the work than
allow /; green man to handle his books
If he is employed in the freight dc.
partmcnt. and besides il lcliefs are
employed this would be nothing less
than reduction Of salaries The bill
is nota protection nor will 1t remedy
the evils complained Of.
Mr.. Manning brought the lengthy
debate to IN end by motion to in
definitely postpone.
The yeas and nays were demanded
and resulted rs follows:
Yeas: McSsrs. Blake, iiutlcr, Den
mis-, Douglass, Forrest, Hardin, Hay,
llcrndon, Hood, IIough, Manning,
Maytlcld, Mccall, McIvcr, Raysor,
Sharpe, Sheppard. Won Kolnitz,
Walker, Williams 20.
Nays: Messrs. Aldrich, Bricc, Car
pcntcr, Davis, Goodwin, Ilydrck,
Johnson, Marshall, Mower, Peurifoy,
9. w Ragsdalc, j. w. Ragsdalc,
Stackhousc, Stanland ii.
So the bill was killed.