The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-01-10
Col. Pearre's Bill Now Pending in
the House.
THE BILL is EXCITING INTEREST
Was Matured After Consultation with
Railroad Officials and Telegraph
Operators Confident of Action
on the Measure.

bill to regulate the employment of
block-signal telegraph operators on in
terstate roads. This bill is somewhat
startling in the novelty of one of its
features, and its constitutionaIity, if it
should be enacted, would, doubtless, be
attacked by the railroad companies.
Whether it would run the gauntlet of
the courts is an open question. The
bill is, in effect, intended to place these
employees of railroads in the Govern
ment classified service. The bill pro-
vides:
That on and after the LIST day of jan
uary, 1907 all telegraph operators en-
gagged in the occupation Of signaling
trains by what is termed the block sig
nal, or receiving and transmitting to
trains Geographic train orders issued by
the superintendent and other officers Of
all railroads in the United States en-
| gagged in interstate commerce, shall
| pass an examination prescribed by the
Interstate Commerce Commission to de-
termine the mental and technical fitness
of said applicants, and said commission
shall issue license to said applicants
for such examination to engage in such
work If they pass the tests.
Railroad companies desiring to en-
ploy telegraphers would, under this bill,
have to apply 10 the Interstate Com
merce Commission for list Of eligibles.
The bill, however, does not apply to
| persons who have been engaged in
block-signal Geographic work for three
years.
! The penalty upon railroad companies
for violation of the law is fine of not
more than $4,000. Individuals who dis
obey the law are subject to fine and i'm
| prisonment.
As to the propriety Of the clause in
the bill which prohibits working these
operators longer than eight hours in one
day, there can only be general assent.
No railroad telegraph operator engaged
IN signaling trains or sending or receiv-
ing Geographic train orders should be
! compelled to work more than eight
| hours day. The mind and all the fac
ulties of the railroad operator must be
on the alert. Upon his wakefulness,
his memory and the accuracy of his OBJ
servation depend the safety of the peo-
pie on the trains. 1t is essential that
the minds and bodies of men laboring
under these responsibilities should not
be over tasked. 1t is not uncommon to
work these men y hours at a stretch,
and there is no telling how many lives
have been lost by the forgetfuluess or
inattention of men who have been
wearied and their faculties dulled by
long hours at work. This fact has been
recognized by the Legislature of Mary
land, and at the session of 1906 a law
was enacted Chapter Asa of the acts of
that session-to prohibit the employ
ment of block-signal operator for more
than eight hours in any "a consecutive
hours. This is now the law of Mary
land, and it should be the law Of the
District of Columbia and of every State
in the Union. If Congress is compe-
tent to do it, then it should be done by
Congress. Perhaps Congress has the
same authority to do this that it had to
require airbrakes and automatic couplers
and to abolish stoves.
Mr.. Pearre's bill not only prohibits
the companies from employing tele-
graphers more than eight hours a day,
but prohibits telegraphers from work.
ing for longer time. 1t is questionable
whether some sort of limitation should
not be put upon the hours of engine
men It's just as important for them
to be alert and wideawake as it is for
| telegraphers Engineer Hildebrand,
1 who was on the locomotive that caused
the Terra Gotta disaster, testified that
he had had no sleep, except two periods
of four and half hours each, within as
hours. 1t is true that he denied that he
was any the worse for this, but that
! does not seem reasonable The engineer
| gets extra pay for extra hours, and he
does not always regard long hours as a
hardship, but it may imperil the safety
of passengers. Itcannot be that man
who has had one nights sleep in two
whole days is at his best, and he should
not be permitted to endanger life in
order to enlarge his pay check any more
than the railroad company should do it
to save expense. The recent meeting
of representatives of railroad engineers
and firemen in Chicago had under con-
sideration a demand for an eight-hour
day. If such demand is made and the
railroad companies accede to it, it may
promote the safety of travel and the
| prosperity of the railroads.
All persons having accounts with the
undersigned and who have not made
satisfactory arrangements for their
payment can settle the same by calling
upon l.. d. Thrasher, at Deer Park,
Md, before the 9Th day Of December.
After that date shall proceed by law
to collect the same. Thanking all for
| past favors, | am.
! DR.. G.. J.. LININGER.