The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-09-16
LAURENs. $. c.. Sept. 10, 1908.
The Railroad Commission.


states in his report concerning the
Fishing Creek disaster that for the
railroad commissioners to inspect the
trackage and trestles in South Caro-
lima carefully would be % physical i'm
possibility he states the truth. No one
will set up the claim that the commits
sioners should be track-wslkers. 1t Is
needless to enlarge on this proposi-
tion.
At the same time, the commissioners
could be and ought to be informed
fully and thoroughly as to the general
physical condition of any considerable
section of railway mileage and its roll
ing stock in South Carolina. III, for Ok
ample, it b, true that the Fishing
Creek trestle was in obvious and motto.
rlOus need of repair or reconstruction,
the likelihood Is strong hat the tres
ties and trackage Of that railway di-
vision was in similar need. Any man
of common sense should be able to ex-
anime one or two trestles and a mile
or two of trackage Of auy railroad and
then to judge with reasonable certainty
whether or not the roads condition
was being properly maintained. Mr..
Garris' explanation that the commits
sioners annOt keep watch over each
trestle In detail does not 60 far enough.
The only safe position for the commits
sion to assume is that 1t lacks the pow
err or Is not bound In duty to keep
,ynfnl, nvon fhn nhyaiaot o1nl;Ato. 80
the roads. Whether or not this posi-
ton would be justified turns upon
what the commissions duties aro de-
fined by law to be.
Assuming that tho commission is re-
CURED by the statutes to watch the ply
steal condition Of the roads, could it to
dey answer in q general way and with
approximate accuracy this question: Is
the Atlantic Coast Lines track be-
tween Columbia and Charleston kept
up 10 q good standard ..of safety2 Let
us assume that it could answer the
question aflirmatively, could it also an
swer a similar question Automatically as
to the railway of which the Fishing
Greek trcstle is q part? Stories arc
very generally current, emphasized by
the recent disaster that the condition
OF this latter road Is not and has not
been physically good. II they we're so
current a tho commission give any
reason why they were not investigated
and the results of the investigation at
last made public before the accident?
1'rpSf1pS NAV nnl do h,ootr @> kln
best OF roads. No rules instituted by
the railroad commissioners will pre-
vent accidents. However, any incl
Igent man who travels in the state can
see and truly say that there are rail-
way divisions by no means so well
maintained, as, for instance, the South
ern's division between Greenville and
Charlotte or GreenYille and Atlanta.
The railroad commissioners should be
able to distinguish between different
sections of track as truly as the aver
age layman. They should be able
moreover to establish general rules as
TO railroad construction and mainten-
ance and these could be enforced in
part simply by keeping the public in
formed. We believe that we know of
one section OF railway track that is, as
compared to others that we know of,
not safe-and this in South Carolina.
In late years it has had more than its
proportionate share OF wrecks, and one
can tell in travelling over it that trains
are operated on certain trestles with q
caution that betokens a want of conf
dence In these trestles' security. If we
are correct in this case, an official pub
lication by the commission OF the
facts would tend TO drive business from
This road and so cause its. owners to i'm
prove 1t, In self-defence.
The railway commission should fix a
standard of security In railroad con-
struction at least as good as the best
now found on any line in South Caro-
Ina which would certainly be none loo
good. Tracks not kept up to this stand
ara had better not to be operated at
all. The commission could employ pub
licity as q valuable II NOT adequate
remedy In enforcing the regulations.
meanwhile the railway commits
sioners should be men educated in the
railroad business. Such men cannot
be selected I'm popular elections. Un-
fortunately, the people mach prefer to
give these and all other Off ces requir.
Ing expert training on the part of those
who hold them to men who are masters
OF the business Of politics than +, men
capable OF rendering the best service.
we even as a rule, elect politicians to
manage our schools and state merchan-
disc business instead of school men and
merchants. There would equally be as
nch sound sense displayed il we
elected railroad men, editors or doc
tors to sit on the supreme bench. AZ
ter oil, shall we not some of these days
elect a physician or q printer to a seat on
the supreme bench? If not, why not?
A..A