Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-10
LABOR UNIONS BLAMED.
Siason Thompson Attacks Railroad Or.
CARNATIONS. Says Cause Wrecks.

Railroad labor organizations are ar.
raigned by Slason Thompson. official
representative OF the General Manag /.
ers' association OF Chicago I'm nam.
phlet wherein he charges them with
responsibility for lax discipline to
which he attributes disasters that have
annually caused many deaths and cas- !.
ualties.
Then he makes vicious attack up-
on the alleged efficiency OF block sig
nails W on which railroad homogeneous
have expended enormous sums OF mon
ey in order to prevent accidents and
give added protection to life and prop
erty, Mr.. Thompson insists that dis
cipllne Is needed more than these sig
mails. OF labor organizations he says.
They exercise an influence over the
entire field OF railway employment de-
trimental TO discipline. Before discl-
plinins an engineer, railway officials
have 10 be prepared with proofs OF hab-
ltual and dangerous INSTRUMENTATION
10 face demand for his reinstatement.
The trouble is that having neither au-
thorlty nor responsibility, the organi-
zatlon Of railway employees lnterferes
with tho authority OF railway officials
In innumerable ways They seek to
dictate appointments to the various
branches OF the service and they restrict
employment 10 their own number. They
also act as n check on the prompt sus.
pension or dismissal OF men for cause
covered by the good of the service"
II the organizations guaranteed that
all their members we're competent and
reliable men and would be loyal en-
ployes, amenable to discipline In what
ever branch of the service employed
their watchfulness lest injustice might
be done to such members would be JUS
tIflable. But members In railway
brotherhood conveys no such guarpn-
tee"
Mr.. Thompson drives home to labor
organizations the responsibility for
many wrecks by the statement that
the lack Of discipline and tho pres
ense of negligence account for nine
tenths OF the collisions, not only where
the block system Is used, but where Il
In not"
Then Mr. Thompson asks what nc
counts for this laxness OF operating
officials IN enforcing regulations rs II
not" he says, "because they are IN
constant dilemma between public de-
mands for fast schedules and a division
OF authority over their employees from
the engineers 10 the switchmenY Ey-
cry act Of the operating official II not
only subject 20 appeal 10 his own SUI
periOr but % the officials Of the em-
plOyes unions or hrotherhoods.
IN Mr. Thompson's opinion. the best
physical means 10 prevent collisions Is
double trucking mileage. aud although
the adoption OF the block system
may come next IN Importance, he de-
clares that the results Il has attained
10 not warrant the Interstate commerce
commission IN concentrating popular
attention ON iis universal adoption a. a
papacea for railway train accidents
The block system Ia thus dealt With
"Conditlons show that the block signal
system, though u seems "a BE- correct
In principle, has fnr some reason failed
Of anything like complete efficiency
WHY Because 4 Ia not a aystom that
can work itself TIA name has prpm-
lsed more than lts principle IA capable
o.. fulnlllag merely slgnals q does
40 block anything Ne Thompson
tlao ruuuQlN scores railway manage
meats Cor lack 0f dlaeipluo and dr,
llAfoR chat whenever a man N caught
running "A nluek 0r slnAllng a aWllOh
a. should ~ dismissed Whefrta h1 NJ
Mly lUfauuouiN lls lnnnei hy fpa
lNualul rae puipOsa ~ ih0 pamphri
lo says h lo prove ,hag lhhW q aQ
eooasloa iog shs aslaless sssssasN