The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20
Justice to the Dispatches.
Of Tho TImes-Dispatch:

Ecitor or Tho TImes- Dispatch:
sir.-Does not your paper unintentlonal-
" do an Injustice to Train Dispatcher
Thornton? In your summary OF tho
state Corporation Commissions report
OF their investigation Of the laYneptable
Southern Railway wreck. In which Presl-
dent Spencer was Killed. you say. And
the commission criticized the failure OF
the dispatcher MT Lynchburg to report tho
defectvs condition of one OF the trains,
which contributed to tho ultimate cause
OF tha collision"
But what says the report? Paragraph
two OF the commissions own summary
distinctly states that the defective condi-
tion OF the train "should have been re-
ported to the dispatcher" and instruction
asked OF him; and paragraph eight says,
Dispatcher Thornton, at Lynchburg,
should have known OF the condition OF
train 80. and that definite instruction
should have been given the conductor as
TO handling the car with defective coup
linRs." Are we to assume that the COM
mission intends 20 censure the dispatch-
er in paragraph eight for lack of infor-
nation which paragraph two censures
another for not furnishing him? l think
not. Moreover, take It that the aver
age dispatcher and railway official will
naturally wonder what 10 the commits
s'on's conception OF the scope OF dis
patcher's duties. especially In connection
with the making I'D and inspection of
trains at terminal points where there are
yard-masters, statIon-masters and in.
spectors.
AS In the thousands OF columns OF re-
cent newspaper discussion OF the railway
question in all It's ramihcations. the func-
tons OF tho dispatchers has not percep-
tibiy figured, 1t may be pardoned an old
knight OF the key to exprss his sense of
~ -. ~ 4. ,rI,,
ed such mn excellent record OF freedom
from wreck causations. Their splendid
patience. as a class. Is demonstrated
str!kingly by their silence when the press
correspondents so generally confound
their positions with others. especially
with the telegraph operators, whose du-
ties are surely important and essential.
but by no means Identical with those OF
the dIspatchers. The train dispatcher
figures out and transmits the train-orders
to the operators. whose duty 1t Is TO
properly copy and deliver the orders
to the trains. The travelling public sees
tho operators sometimes. but seldom
comes in contact with the Isolated knight
OF the key. whose brains arc ever bussly
engaged In keeping things moving witt,
safety and dispatch. And trust pardon
Will be graciously granted me for saying
that as a class the railways have no moro
loyal and faithful employees than the
train dispatchers.
And, after all the elaborate discussion
OF the railway question. one thing Is
especially clear to rejecting minds. and
that is that Justice must be granted where
Justice Is demanded: that In strenuous
ly insisting upon square deal BY the
railways the public must not allow any
abnormal prejudice to hamper the natn-
raj up-bulders Of our country A just
conception of the logical community OF
interests by the railways and the pub
Tic and fine esprit de corps IN the
railway army, unmarried by selfish mo.
tives and agitations. will go very taf 'o
wards eettling the railway problem.
W. NJ BICKERS.
Richmond. Va, January To-.