The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-11

full reading Of the speech however, Will
shog tHat i is rather w ar ,,Isns to
exercise OF their powers,
A striking illustration of the need or
speh ss Waring may ~ 90 sren Known
as 1.-THE railroad hours or service Dill,
Tor years the Interstate Commerce
Gommi ,, has ment isyeet M rail-
road wrecks have been oecaslonea Wy
working railroad employees over,time:
besn thfas Xsrs The attention
Congress to this evil In his annual mes
sagss. During the session OF son Con-
EnGss Wnch aS ait f b ntendea
remove this great menace to the lives
OF the travelling public Railron q. man n, ~
agers and railroad enp9 sSga,ns 1cNe What
they considered an unwnrranted Inter
ference with their private b ,,s ss On
t took pt the Vi View that railroad
and railroad employees were not tho
only persons to be considcred, ana tnnt
roads road we're supposed to exist. should
| not have their lives jeopardized mere
" to accomplish the proht and con- ON
| employees. 1t was also considered that
| in the long run 1t would be vastly to
the Interest of both the managers y y and
Der Of railroad wrecks were di,ni1isihle neg
Therefore, the Senate p passed the me t taam
| lette bill. When 1t reached tnc Rouse
by the railroads that had been em-
pioyed when the bill was IN the Senate.
with. tho result that another r hill y, was
weaker measure than the LaTollette
bill, its most conspicuous weakness Gas
tho newspapers report) being the rail-
ton. However. the upshot of the whole
tie Federal statute books a law pro
al tiVsr <txS ,,lrxr, nf
railroad employees for longer period
than sixteen consecutive hours. and
allowing those who have been empl9ysd
for a certain period TO enjoy eight
hours rest before being called out
again.
AT the last session of the General As
semblN of Virginia tho writer introduce
cd a bill which was quite similar to the
bill aftcrward introduced by Senator
LaFolette In the United states Senate.
and made 1t unlawful for railroad EN-
ployes to. work more than sixteen hours
oonsssennttivsly except II Gases Of ,n
ten hours, of rest must intervene be-
tween each period of work.
The em bio ia had p, %Sksa over T ssh
hours he must have ten hours rest be-
fore resuming his labors. For viola
ons St o5 this aor act pepn GALA St nSt sss
imposed. -
vh What hSappsnea to this biz? J En
Mhhe gers and Gsf
to Richmond to protest against
whas . they considered an ";
prvate buniness on the psr
Of the Legisiature Their testimon,
showed that the evil sought to be rene
supposed. 1t was calmly stated tina
It was constant practice In Virgini;
dqp TO keep tne
i that men who had been out on Ion,
a runs We're sometimes required to e
Q sometimes permitted to work far be
!. yond the period when they We're cap
able OF taking proper care OF the sig
Z, nails. It seems incredible that any per
r son could have heard this astoundin
testimony and not have come to "a
= ! imperatively needed. Nevertheless. tn
: Senate Committee on Roads s, and Inter
$ appeared before the committee COOL
g contended that no limit should be p,
committee took that view Owing I
l. the slortneJs of the session. and T
20 author OF the bill knew that it W:
p useless to attempt to combat the al
verse report o. the committee.
/
s. of the other States Will show that on
b. four of five have discharged the vel
Id palpable duty Of protecting their cit
40 Hens against the negligence of owe
- worked railroad employees, and in, son
Y of the statutes the skill of the railrot
lobbyist is painfully manifest. For i
ar stance. in the Texas statute is provl
q, or to passenger tra1ns-the very ones
the there rest Of the States, including vi
GINA have either neglected or refus
IS. to protect their people against til
constant and alarming danger to ever
!, natural than that the people. Of 7
al. several States should look to the Fe
'or eral Congress to do that which the
ar own Legislatures had failed to do?
BIT this instance they did not look entire
On, in vain. But at best the relief affor
I'd railroad lines entirely within the stat
ne which are not engaged in intersttl
sht commerce, and therefore are not
are the scope of the Federal statute.
int However, the lesson of the episo
is should be taken to heart by al "
n hold sacred the time, honored doctri
States rights The people neoo Of
Virginia, having shed so much bic
"a and endured SO much misery In I,
~. .u tense of this principle. should see. Il
eao the States, through their Legislator
promptly and effectively meet eve
proper demand in order that the p.
the in every cas- ~ diatress
the the IS s. ii. MAcHEN
'on ----
and