The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-03

ANONYMOUS WIN i--
ceive no attention. nor will any notice be
paid to those OF undue length.
To the Eagle:
A CRY FROM THE TRAVELLING
PUBLIC TO THE RAILROADS
The shipping public has been sending
up its cry for half century for reduced
rates and quicker transit. On the other
hand. the travelling public has said hut
little. save concerning occasional long
waits at depots, or Unaccommodating con-
ducto-s. "bagage-smashers. and ether
bagatelles. But now in the frequent and
fearful destruction Of life: ten, twenty,
forty. sixty deaths in a single disaster.
comes the cry. spare the lives Of the
travelling public
That the demand exists for more safety
to the travelling public is obvious, hence
goes without argument The difficulty lies
in how 10 find the remedy. 1t is cheap
and easy to say that the roads ought TO
exercise more care. but little reflection
will show that the problem is not so sim
pie as this. On the other hand, the prob
lem IS complex, very complex.
here are the SEDthl4D.uttSr bUltAtAS VI
the roads who put their capital inre the
roads as other men theirs into merchan-
disc. manufacturing, mining. etc. to make
money Their prime object is money,
Just as that of the banker, manufacturer.
druggist telephone. etc, an. not as some
people seem to think, merely to accommo-
date the public.
The accommodation of the public is
a secondary object, and ii turn. is a
means TO the primary object. namely;
patronage which brings money. If the
ideallst or phiIanthropist says this is a
low aim, it can in turn be said that il is
az high as that of the grocer, clothier.
farmer. lawyer the doctor, ct al. SO we
must allow this as basic element in the
problem. I'll not say their charges are
not exorbitant or their management al
ways free from carelessness.
The above granted, the next elements
in the problem are the officers. IF you
charge them with being misery, mig
gar6ly in the employment of cheap, and
hence, Incompetent men, or insufficient in
number hence overworked and thereby
Liable to mistakes. ard as a consequence,
the cause Of accidents; charity demands
that you shall remember that these Of
ficers are the servants of the stock
holders who are looking to them for divi-
bends on their stocks, hence demanding
economy in management.
We. the public, are a large factor in
this problem. q We want cheap fare;
60 Many want no fare at all. They want
passes during term Of ofice-then to be
changed into life passes, which yield no
dividends.
We want quick transit. When the SUI
perintendent comes into the car and secs
his customer. a merchant from Wichita,
Topeka or Kansas City enroute 10 New
York, not leaning hack in repose. but
leaning forward strenuOusly as Il he ant
ed 70 reach his destination five minutes
ahead of the train, he quickly interprets
the demand for higher speed. hence
increase Of danger. But, stronger still.
when one or all Of these merchants say
to him your time is a half-hour longer
than the Rock-Islaad the Missouri Pa
cific, or others; l think l will take one
of those The next time. Here is a potent
bid for increased speed, and consequently,
increased danger.
Now, here is the problem with these
complex elements, a mutual relation be-
tween the public and the roads
If the roads are yielding adequate divi-
dends we the public. have just right to
demand safer service ana as a means to
this end, more competent employees and
in larger number This number shall be
so large that no mans capability is inn
paired by overwork or want of rest or
sleep. No man shall sleep at his switch
or dispatcher's desk on peril 'of his life
when he thereby imperils a hundred lives.
II the dividends are not adequate. we,
the travelling public must pay more to
lessen risks and increase safely. II speed
il too great. We must suppress our haste.
and ask for less speed. Most and best OF
all. is the provision for double tracks.
wherever the capital and the business will
possibly permit.
That the reader may see the demand
for relief. we give the lists of killed and
injured for three years. 1SeSl9oo, rs taken
from the report of interstate commerce
commission of the United States: 1895
killed. 1858: injured. S1,-Gl: 1899. killed
2.919: injured, 1888; 1890. killed. 2.55o; in
jured, 3e6i5.
This is a shocking list Of injured and
killed. Bad as this is, judging from news
paper reports. the current year is much
worse. Frequently there is daily report
of accidents for week together. Surely
there are just grounds for Il cry from the
/ travelling public for greater safety.
1 have not the statistics Of other coun-
I tries before me. but Memdy says the loss
/ OF life is much less.
GEORGE w HOSS
/ Wichita.
To the Eagle: