The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-02-13
CURRENT TOPICS OF
NATIONS. CAPITAL.
(By Willis J.. Abbot.

- m II q
Washington, Feb. 12.l--Some
days ago / sent out through th'se
service, some discussion Of the bill
introduced by SenatT La Toilette,
aud the mastery liSanncr' in which
he carried it through the United
States Senate. or course, il lad To
go TO the House, and now Mr..
Esch, known TO fame as one Of the
Joint authors Of the Townsend
Esch bill for the regulation of rail-
roads. has had it amended ;n a way
that distorts it out of all recogniz-
,ble form.
Senator La Toilette is the mar
who has fought hardest the rail-
roads, of all men in public life in
Wisconsin. 1t Is perhaps coin-
cidenee that Congressman Esch
comes from the same state. If you
look in the Congressional directory
you will find them both labeled
Republicans, but there is a lot of
difference between Republicans
and | am sorry to confess that
there is some difference between
Democrats.
Essentially the difference between
these two bills can be- shown by a
comparison Of these two para
grnpbs: ar ,dI
Whenever any such employee
CT such common carrier shalt have
been continuously on duty for, six
teen hours, he shall be relieved and
not required on permitted again
to go on duty until he has had
at least ten consecutive hours off
duty; and no suchs employee who
has been relieved from duty after a
continuous service of any period
Incre than ten hours and less than
sixteen, shall be required or permit
ted TO 20 on duty again uail he
has had eight consecutive hours of
duty
| LA TVlLl<Gl liz DllLA
"It shall be unlawful TO require
on permit any employee I, re-
main on duty more than sixtcer
consecutive hours, OF to require Or
permit any such employee who has
been on duty sixteen consecutive
hours, to go on duty without hav-
| ing had at least ten hours Off duty
ca to require r permit any snch
employee who has been Oh duty
sixteen hours in the aggregate in
any, Neutrality-suspicious. period to
continue on duty or to SO OH
outy without having had nt last
eight hours off duty within such
twenty-,four hour period -
WHAT TILE DIFFERENCE
MEANS
To no little further INTO ,lr;l;.
under the Esch bill il is possible TO
kelp man on duty nine hodrs,
then relieve him for short period,
an hour or more and again compel
him to 90 on duty. Under the terms
of the Esch bill a man working as
engineer or signal man can be kept
practically without sleep for twenty
Four or forty eight hours, because
the hasty sleep that one gets OF am
hour or two hours between long
terms Of duty is Of but little value
"a rest. H
The LaFollette bill makes the act
OF overwOrking trainmcn u misdca-
meancr. The Esch bill makes it a
civil offense, which the sufferer
must prove. Under the LaFollette
bill the state must act upon com
plant and the misdeameanant could
be imprisoned. The LaFollette also
provides that the Interstate Com
meree Commission should be com
Felled TO investigate eases Of the
violation of the law. The House bill
fails to make any such mandatory
! order.
WHAT IiAFOLLETTE THINKS.
In a chat with Senator LaFollette
today, | learned that he himself
was not at all satisfied with his bill
in its present form. He hopes that
1T will go with tho Esch bill, to q
conference committee and then tina Z
the amendments which, to some e;t-
tent, weakened his Original measure,
may bc stricken out. But OF tho two
bills now pending unqucvtiouablIy
he is' tho stronger and the more Of,