Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-04-24

The bill recently introduced by Rep- resentative Alex H. Rowell, of this county, regulating the hours for tel egraphers, passed both houses of the General Assembly with only two dis senting votes.
 In speaking of the bill, Secretary l.. H. Moore of the State Federation Of Labor says:
 Saturdays issue Of a Little Rock paper states that J. C. Browne, gen eral foreman of the Telegraph Depart ment of the Iron Mountain Railroad, does not favor the bill which passed the house Thursday, which specifics that railroad telegraphers who have to do with the handling of trains shall not be required to work over eight hours a day. Mr. Browne thinks that many offices now maintained by the railroad companies would be abandon ed if an eight-hOur day were adopted. The bill was presented as measure of public safety, and though it may cause extra expense to the railroad companies, if it prevents loss of life the question of additional expense should not defeat it. Numerous acci- dents resulting in loss of life and great destruction of property are di- rectly traceable to overWorked tel2- graphers going to sleep while on da- ty, hence the necessity of a law pre- -scribing the limit of time a telegraph CT shall be permitted to work. MT. Browne, while admitting the neces- sity of maintaining the smaller offices for the prompt moving of trains, IS well as protection of the lives and property entruster to it's care, claims that in the interest of economy they will have to be abandoned. The com mercial telegraphers, who are employ ed in handling messages where an er- TOT in sending Or receiving or a tri- fling delay in delivery seldom if ever causes loss Of life or property, are re- quired to work only nine hours a day. Then why should a railroad telegraph CT, upon whose clear brain and accn- facy human lives are depending, be compelled to work from nine to twen- ty-four hours, as is often the case. If after eight hours of continuous ser vice the strain on the telegrapher $ so great that he is liable to make an error that will smash a train, then eight hours should be the utmost linn it that he be permitted to work in one day, and if teh small offices are essential to the public safety, the rail- roads should not be permitted to close them to save a few dollars"
 The following is copy of the bill, which was passed by the House last week, and which passed the Senate by the unanimous vote of 30 to 0 yes terday morning. The bill affects rail- road telegraphers, dispatchers, etc, limiting the amount of their service to eight hours out of 24. It is unpro- visional as to the various points af- fected, and the railroad officials con tend that this fact will work to the end that a number of small offices now maintained as night-and-day of fees will be either cut down, of ne- cessity, to hours, or more likely closed altogether. The provisions of the bill follow:
 House Bill No. 312 (ROwell.} A bill for an act to be entitled An act
 to limit the hours of service of cer-
 tain employees in operating railroad
 trains in the State of Arkansas, and
 making it unlawful for any person,
 corporation, association or their
 agents or officials to permit such
 employees to be kept on duty more
 than eight hours in any "A consecu-
 tive hours
 Be it enacted by the General As sembly of the State of Arkansas: