Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-05

system of railroad transportation so handled that the strong man shall be given no advantage over the weak man. We wish to insure as fair treat ment for the small town as for the big city, for the small shipper as for the big shipper. In the old days the high way of commerce, whether by water or by road on land, was open to all. It belonged to the public. and the traf- fic along it was free. At present the railway is this highway, and we must do our best to see that it is kept open to all on equal terms. Unlike the old highway, it is very difficult and com plex thing to manage, and it is far bet ter that it should be managed by pri- I vate individuals than by the govern ment. But it can only be so managed | on condition that justice is done the public. It is because, in my judgment, 1. public ownership of railroads is highly ! undesirable and would probably in this country entail far reaching disaster that wish to see such supervision and reg ulation of them in the interest of the public as will make 1t evident that there is no need for public ownership. | The opponents of government regula- tion dwell upon the difficulties to be encountered and the intricate and in- volved nature of the problem. Their contention is true. It is complicated and delicate problem, and all kinds of 1 difficulties are sure to arise in connec- tion with any plan of solution, while no plan will bring all the benefits hoped for by it's more optimistic ad- herents. Moreover, under any healthy plan the benefits will develop gradual ly and not rapidly. Finally we must , clearly understand that the public serv- ! ants who are to do this peculiarly re- sponsible and delicate work must f, themselves be of the highest type both i as regards integrity and efficiency. 1 They must be well paid for otherwise able men cannot in the long run be se- cured, and they must possess lofty probity which will revolt as quickly at i the thought of pandering to any gust of popular prejudice against rich men as at the thought of anything even re- motely resembling subserviency to rich men.
 But, while I fully admit the difficult ties in the way, I do not for moment admit that these difficulties warrant us in stopping in our effort to secure wise and just system. They should have no other effect than to spur us on to the exercise of the resolution, the even handed justice and the fertility of resource which we like to think of as typically American and which will in the end achieve good results in this, as in other fields of activity. The task is a great one and underlies the task of dealing with the whole. industrial prob lem. But the fact that it is a great problem does not warrant us in shrink ing from the attempt to solve it. At present we face such utter lack of su- peryision, such freedom from the re- straints of law, that excellent men have often been literally forced into doing what they deplored because oth- erwise they were left at the mercy of interruptions competitors. To rail at and assail the men who have done as they best could under such conditions accomplshes little. What we need to do is to develop an orderly system, and such a system can only come through the gradually increased exercise of the right of efficient government control.
 Safety Appliances.
 In my annual message to the Fifty eighth congress at its third session I called attention to the necessity for legislation requiring the use of block signals upon railroads engaged in inter- state commerce. The number of seri- ous collisions upon unblocked roads that have occurred within the past year adds force to the recommendation then made. The congress should pro- vide by appropriate legislation for the | introduction of block signals upon all railroads engaged in interstate com merce at the earliest practicable date as a measure of increased safety to the travelling public.
 Through decisions of the supreme court of the United States and the low CT federal courts in cases brought be- i fore them for adjudication the safety | appliance law has been materially strengthened. and the government has been enabled to secure its effective en- i forcement in almost all cases, with the result that the condition of railroad | equipment throughout the country is much improved and railroad employees ] perform their duties under safe- condi- tions than heretofore. The govern ! ment's most effective aid in arriving | at this result has been its inspection service, and that these improved con | ditions are not more general is due to the insufficient number of inspectors employed. The inspection service has fully demonstrated it's usefulness, and in appropriating for it's maintenance the congress should make provision for an increase in the number of inspect | ors.
 Hours of Labor of Railroad Employees. The excessive hours of labor to | which railroad employees fin train serv- Ice are in many cases subjected is also a matter which may well engage the serious attention of the congress. The strain, both mental and physical. upon those who are engaged in the move ment and operation of railroad trains under modern conditions is perhaps greater than that which exists in any other industry. and if there are any reasons for limiting by law the hours