New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-25
REMEDY FOR RAILROAD ACCIDENTS.
Secretary of American Sabbath Union Sug-
gests One Rest Day in Seven.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir You were most opportune Monday of
this week in your editorial entitled Death by
Rail" Every citizen having the public welfare at
heart to say naught Of his personal safety. most
probably indorses fully your views and hopes OK
pressed
During the progress Of the Investigations this
week into the Bronx horrors Of last Saturday
night by the authorities Of county and state. all
classes OF citizens have had their interest intens-
fed In this vital question.
As the list of railroad catastrophes lengthens
and the death roll grows week by week" every
thoughtful person is asking: How can the increas-
ing frequency of accidents in travel be checked
and the terrible slaughter Of human lives be dimin-
ished? Congress has even had recently a resolu-
ton introduced touching this matter OF such mo-
ment.
Last August the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion reported to July 1895 the record OF the last
eleven years follows: Every day for the last
eleven years there had been average forty
railway accidents twenty-one persons killed, and
quite hundred and forty persons manned or
injured! The exact figures s4.2i lives lost and
555,S56 persons injured. a terrible record indeed
In all this discussion factor has been omitted
by the public. The only remedy. prerequisite
to all. is distinctly in the first years opera
ton of the Switzerland law which went into
effect about six years ago in that country. That
law compelled every railway and trolley company
in the year, seventeen of them being the Christian
Sabbath, or first day Of the week. The number Of
viewpoint Of our present complex civilization con-
siderably stretching necessity and mercy" Where
men compelled to labor on Sunday they must
have week day following as twenty-four
hours rest extra men being employed by the COM
pany for that purpose.
At the close of the first twelve months the official
report showed that not a single person had been
killed by any accident, and the casualties We're
slight. The fact revealed that employees hav-
ing one day in seven 10 rest came to their daily
tasks six days with rested bodies, steady nerves
clear brains and keener perception Of moral
rectitude in their relations to their employers and
the public The French railways have lust an
hat 70 orf,ra 1.lIf THAR
employees hfty-two weekly rest days. on the basis
of the Switzerland law.
Belgium and two other European coun-
tries have special commissions investigating this
entire question, as to the casualties in travel and
the lack of the weekly rest day for the men In
charge OF passenger and freight traffic
Canada's and most drastic Sunday law ever
enacted by nation viii go into effect March
l. whereby all Sunday railway. Steamboat and
trolley excursions will be prohibited and all traffic
forbidden by these public carriers. No freight
traffic is 20 be allowed between the hours of 7
a. m and p. m. on Sunday. and only such trains
absolute necessity and mercy shall require.
Other nations. even France and Belgium have
decided that the perpetuity and welfare of the
commonwealth demand the recognition Of this
humane and divine aw-onc day in every seven for
rest Of man and machinery. When will our nation
and corporations learn that mans threefold nature
body, mind and spirit-imperatively demand this
one day In seven 70 rest and seek the highest up