The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-04-05

Railroad Commission every six months
of the number of engines and cars o
the several classes and kinds, ant
their condition and location, and the
amount of their terminal trackage anC
transfer facilities. The power Of the
Railroad Commission as to the en-
foroement Of the rules and orders In
regard to the payment of demurrage
for delayed freight or supply of freight
cars upon such conditions as IL may
prescribe, should be ample and effec-
tive, and in the recovery of fines and
penalties imposed by the Railroad
Commission, law similar to the
present "Stock Claim Law" should
be passed allowing the recovery OF
twice the amount of such fine or pen
atty, together with attorney fees,
where 1t Is necessary to bring suit
to recover the same. The convent
ence of the travelling public requires
closer observance of schedules, or
at least more reliable information to
the public as to the whereabouts of
trains and the time of their arrival
at the various stations along the
route. l would recommend that a
statute be passed prohibiting the rail-
roads operating in this State from
keeping any employe in continuous
service for more than sixteen consec-
uttve hours, and that no such en-
ploye, after sixteen consecutive hours
| oP carvina shall ba norrOiftod IN ouai,,
| go on duty without having had at
| least ten hours off duty; except in
cases Of emergency, such as accidents
or wrecks, or delayed schedules. And
tha'i the average number Of hours daily
service for station agents and opera
tors should be limited to not more
than ten hours per day. I would
recommend that no person less than
Is years of age be permitted to per-
fern the duties of train dispatcher
or railroad telegraph operator upon
whose messages trains are dispatched
or handled. The records of the Rail-
road Commission show that for the 12
months ending June 80, 1906, there
We're killed by railroad accidents in
this state fifty employees and nine pas
sengers, and four hundred and thirty
seven employees and passengers in
1ured. 1t is, therefore, your duty to
throw every safeguard and protection
to the public around the lives of those
employed in the railroad traffic of this
State, as well as the travelling public,
and no reasonable precautlon should
be neglected which will afford this
protection. You should pass such
statutes as will make 1t mandatory
upon the nearest Justice Of the peace,
acting as coroner, to proceed imme-
diately to where any person has been
killed in any accident or train wreck,
and to hold an inquest and ascertain
the cause of such accident, and who
Is to blame therefor. l would recon-
mend that the express companies,
the telegraph and telephone lines of
the State be placed under the jurisdic-
ton of the Railroad Commission. II
would recommend a law regulating
the issue Of stocks and bonds by cor
porations, modelled upon that of those |
States where it is in successful oper-
alton. | would not be understood as
recommending the lessening of wages
paid to any employe, but would rec
ommend that the railroads be prohib |
tied from paying less than the aver
age wage paid to laborers and en-
ployes of other corporations or indi-
viduals for the same class of labor or
employment.
Education.
In regard to this important subject,
| can say but ....- --J.u .lal was
suggested In my message to the Leg
islature Of 1905. Too much consid-
GRAFTON cannot be given to the subject
OF our public schools and their needs,
and while we should not neglect the
demands of higher education in the
State, we should primarily consider
the needs and demands OF the common
schools, for 1t is here that the vast
majority of our future citizenship must
look to receive their equipment for
the duties of life, and nothing should
be left undone to meet this demand.
should the demand for
earnest, qualified teachers, imbued
with high ideals and devotion to their
calling--seoond to none-receive your
and every reasonable
means employed to raise the profess
sional standard and the pay of teach
ers, especially in the rural schools.
would suggest for your consideration
State aid for the salary of teachers OF
certain standing and proficiency in
rural schools. The success of the
of country schools into
rural graded schools, where it has
been attempted, is very marked and
should be adopted wherever the means
Of transportation make 1t practicable.
BY this means the pupils in country
districts have the same advantages as
the pupils in the graded schools in the
city, as they do the same work. fol-
low the same class organization and
pass directly from the rural graded
schools into advanced grades of the
city graded or high schools-a result
very nearly impracticable in the one
.eacher, ungraded country school. The
work of the schools throughout the
itate should be systematized and grad
ed as nearly as possible in regard
o quality of work done and methods
and studies pursued. Such a system
would be of mutual benefit to teach
ers and pupils throughout the State
also recommend that conserva-
i've outline or course OF study be de-
'ised and prepared for the guidance