The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-16
SIXTEEN HOUR
BILL IS DEAD.
Will Not Pass the House This
Year, But May During An
other Session.
RAILWAY MEN OPPOSE 1T
Prefer to Make Extra Time-Vir-
GINA Delegation Divided on
the Question.
1rrom Our nerulnr corre.ponaent.l

tFrom Our Regular Corrcspondentl
WASHINGTON. D. c., January 3D.
Tho La Toilette bill, providing that rail-
way employees shall not work losger than
sixteen hours consecutively, and shall
not work again until they have rested
eight hours, will not become law this
year. 1t has parsed tho Senate. 1t
will not get through the House, which
means that the Senator from Wisconsin
will, have to make his fight all over
again next session, with. possibly. some
what better chances Of success than
existed this year.
Railroads have openly opposed much
legislation. but 1t Is impossible TO find
open opposition on their part to the
pendIng bill. 1t Is charged that the
railroads have induced engineers and
conductors and other employees to come
TO Washington and oppose the enaat-
ment OF the law. Certain 1t Is that n
number of railroad employees have pro-
tested against the proposed legislation,
and many of them have been at the
Capitol in the past few days urging that
II be defeated.
Several LOCAL unions OF railway men
in Virginia have adopted resolutions
opposnp the bill. and n half dozen or
more representatives OF railroad er-
ployes In Virginia arc now here seeing
members OF the Virginia delegation and
insisting on their opposing the legisia-
tion proposed.
The virginia delegation Is divided. only
one OF the Virginia representatives vs.
outspoken against 1T. Mr.. Flood, with
characteristic straightforwardness In mol
eating his position. said to-day:
IT am opposed to the bill. The railway
not want IT. ana
they seem to be the people most directly
affected"
Glass Favors Bill.
Representative Carter Glass is just as
emphatic and frank in declaring his IN
tention to support the bill
.I do not admit that the railway people
themselves are primarily the most inter-
ested parties In this matter" he said.
"Ths public is most deeply Interested.
A man who has been on duty twenty or
thirty hours IL not in condition TO stand
Mt an engine throttle, with the safety OF
dozens. probably hundreds. of human
lives depending upon his being in perfect
physical condition, with all his faculties
alert and on the watch for any signal
which may indicate danger. The employees
cay the bill should be defeated because.
as many OF them are paid By the num-
Der of miles they run, It will mean a re-
duction of their wages, | believe that
the wages OF the average railroad man
should be increased, rather than de-
creased. but believe that his safety and
the safety OF the people who ride on the
railroads is of far greater consequences
than any matter OF wages"
Representative John Lamb declared he
intended voting against the bill.
Representative Hay Indicated that he
should vote for IT, although he had not
had time to study the subject carefully.
Representatives Maynard and Southall
had not made up their minds. though Mr.
Southall finally said almost explicitly that
IT was his intention to vote for the bill
1t is claimed by the advocates of the
bin that 1t is developed in nearly every
Investigation following n railway wreck
that BONE OF the crew had been on duty
for much greater length of time than
Is generally regarded as constituting a
days work. Engineer Hildebrand the |
engineer of the train which crashed into |
the passenger train on the Baltimore and |
OHIO. at Terra Gotta, In the suburbs of |
this city. Few days ago. causing tho |
death OF forty-threc persons. had been |
on duty forty-eight hours, with an inter- |
val OF eight hours. 1t is asserted that
the Southern Railway IS strictly enforcing |
n rule to work It's men only q reasonable !
number OF hours without sleep
lt is believed that representatives of
all the trunk lines in Virginia. with tho
of the Norfolk and Western
are protesting against tho passage OF the
law limiting the number OF hours a train
man may work