Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-19
AN IMPORTANT RULING.
Qualification Of the Friends
of Labor.
MUST EQUIP ALL CARS
RAILWAYS OBLIGATION TO USE
AUTOMATIC CoUPLERS.
Supreme Court Decision in a Case Ex
pedited at the Presidents
Request.

President Roosevelt won a case in the
United States Supreme Court today. The
official title of it was johnson agt. the
Southern Pacific Railway Company. and the
issue involved was the enforcement of the
laws of the United States relating to safety
appliances on railway cars for the pro-
lection of employees. The decision of the
court was in favor of more effective en-
forcement Of the automatic coupler law
and more generous Interpretation of the
safety appliance laws.
President Roosevelt's part in the case does
not appear on the surface of the proceed
ings. 1t is said, however, that the case
was expedited to the Supreme Court at his
request and that the Attorney General of
the United States was directed to take per-
sonal charge of it. The Presidents interest
in the case grew out of his solcitude for
the welfare of railway employees, and seeing
in this case an opportunity to have the
laws tested urged that the government
take a hand in the trial.
Johnson was freight brakeman and at
a little station out in Utah had his arm
smashed while trying to couple alocomotive a
to a dining car. He brought suit under the
federal statute requiring cars engaged In
interstate commerce to be equipped with
3.
lower courts, but won today in the Supreme
Court.
Points Brought Out.
The decision of the court today brought
out three principal points; first, that auto
matte couplers of different types of con-
struction must in order to comply with the
law, couple with any other coupler as well
as with couplers of their own type.
Second, that car engaged in interstate
commerce traffic need not necessarily be IN
motion to bring it within the law, but is es
much subject when standing on siding
as when on a main track.
Third, that locomotives as well as other
cars in a train must be equipped with auto
matte cOuplerS.
Chief Justice Fuller, who handed down
the decision, held that all cars, including
locomotives, should be equipped with uni
form automatic couplers. The court also
held that dining cars cannot be exempt
from the requirements of the safety ap-
pliance law when In use, even though
empty.
First Case of the Kind.
Regarding the decision, Mr.. Moseley, sec
mission, said today:
lit is believed that the Johnson case is
the first instance wherein the government
has interviewed in private litigation to pre-
vent the notification of a statute or main-
tain the integrity of a law. 1t is a case
of enormous Importance to railroad en-
ployes, for the Supreme Court has declared
1t unlawful for railroads to use couplers
in such condition as to require men to go
between the cars.
Attorney General Moody and Solicitor
General Hoyt both signed the brief for the
government. and Solicitor General Hoyt
argued the case most fOrcibly before the
court.
THE good effect of this decision is far
reaching, for it confirms the railroad en-
ployes throughout the country in the belief
that If they can only reach the Supreme
Court of the United States they can get
justice, whereas they have felt that by rea-
son of decisions where their rights were
involved the lower courts have been an
tagonistic to their interests
Mr.. II. r. Fuller, legislative representa-
tive of the railroad brotherhoods said
This is a great victory for the railroad
employees. The decision is far reaching and
will certainly produce a feeling of content
nent and Satisfaction among railway en-
ployes."