East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-09-14
MAY ENGINEERS
WEAR GLASSES?
ORDER OF BURLINGTON
SYSTEM BARS SPECTACLES,
Strike of Locomotive Engineers
Threatened Because Capable Men
Who Use Glasses Are TO BE Discard
edo. II. & y. Officials Tell of the
Rules in Force on This System.

What promises to be a serious strike /
of the locomotive engineers on the 1
Burlington system. has been caused
by the company discharging capable
and able-bodied engineers who wear
glasses at times. Some of the best
and most successful engineers on the
Burlington system wear glasse at
times. and the Brotherhood Of Engi-
neers will fight the order of the COM
pany retiring those who do so, to the
bitter end. iM
In speaking of the subject of engi-
neers wearing glasses, DR.. X. a. J.
Mckenzie. o r. & y. physician and
General Superintendent Buckley, of
the same system, said to the Portland
oregonian yesterday:
should a locomotive engineer, who
is compelled to wear glasses be reduc-
ed in rank and pay by the railroads, or
does the slight defects in vision that
can be corrected by glasses constitute
a disability?
This is a question that is agitating
officials of the Burlington system just
now. as shown in the dispatches from
Chicago An order lowering the rank
and paw of locomotive engineers who /
wear glasses has been followed by the |
therat of the enginemen of the Burl- /
ington to order a strike If the edict is
put into effect.
Portland railroad physicians are in
clined to think the action of the Bur
lington officials is somewhat drastic
and state that no such rule has yet
become effective on oregon railroads
They say the time may come when the
line may be drawn at men who suffer
even such slight visual defects for
which glasses is the usual remedy.
1.-The rules here in this particular
are not so strict as in tho east" said
DR.. X. \. ]. Mackenzie, chief surgeon
OF the O. r. & y. "However all men
entering the employ of the road as en-
ginemen are examined carefully as to
their eyesight. We have found that
we can qualify a man for work as en-
gineAr whose eyes are somewhat de-
fective by fitting him with glasses.
"Of course it is likely that the safest
and hest service can be had from those
engineers who do not require any cor
receives to their sight and who per-
form their work without glasses. but it
is a very difficult matter to eliminate
engineers who have served the road
faithfully just because they require
the aid Of spectacles.
Defects in vision are likely to be
accompanied by a failure to recognize
colors. and this lack of the color sense
is fatal to successful locomotive oper-
alton. The failure to appreciate color
ed signals is, of course a handicap to
an engineer that cannot be overcome.
The final issue of the matter is likely
TO he that only such railroad engineers
will be employed on the railroads of
the country as are in full possession OF
all their faculties"
DR.. George F. Wilson. division sur
geon Cor the Southern Pacific. says he
is not called upon to pass upon the
qualifications of engineers. but thai
the final decision is made by the heads
of the medical department of the road
in San Francisco. He said that he be-
lieves a man could perform the worl
of a locomotive engineer successfully
with glasses wherever they are requir
ed TO remedy slight defects or sight. o
course. II an engineers spectacle
should be broken or lost, he would b.
at a disadvantage, but such a contin
gency would be of the nature of al
accident.
NJ. J. Buckley, superintendent of tn
Hartman lines in the northwest is o
the opinion that a man who wear
ola n- C ac thaN- a p
called in railroad parlance, is not in
capacitated for service as an enginee
unless he must wears them all tn
time or his sight has some severe dc
fects. The Hartman lines, he says, d
not hire men for engineers who wea
glasses all the time and such men al
not promoted in the service.
I'VE have no such ruling as hf
been put into effect on the Burlingto
system" said Mr.. Buckley. 1.-THE wa
we handle that matter is about lil
this: When an engineer gets to poll
where he cannot see well, when h
vision Is not what it should be and
is particularly color blind or his ey
are in any way affected, so that he
liable to make mistakes and endang
the lives of passengers as well as h
own. we take him out of service. v
have old locomotive engineers WI
eventually reach a point where tn
are hardly equal to the demands
railroading on the main line. We tai
care Of these men by placing them I
branch lines, where the service is n
so strenuous.
"There are degrees Of defectivene
in sight and hearing and the men w
enter the employ Of the roads as trai
men or engineers are examined clos
ly. In case they are defective to
extent which interferes with their d
ties, they are not hired as matter
course"
Starving to Death.