The Washington herald., 1907-03-07
FINES ON STOCK CARS
Violations of Twenty-eight-
hour Law Punished.
SEVEN HUNDRED CASES NOW
Secretary Wilson Bound to Enforce
the Law To the Letter and Rail-
roads Are Realizing the Necessity
of 0bedience-FuIl Penalty Exact
ed where Roads Choose to settle.

The policy recently entered into by Sec
rotary Wilson of enforcing what is known
as the twenty-eight-hour law has made
all the Western railroads sit up and take
notice The law requires all railroads
transporting cattle % unload % water
and feed stock once al least in every
twenty-eight hours Hitherto the rail
roads, Notwithstanding the existence OF
less drastic statute 10 the same general
effect. have been doing pretty much as
they pleased about showing reasonable
kindness % the dumb brutes intrusted to
their care in the journey To the shambles.
Armed with a good strong law. Secre-
tary Wilson has now called a halt and is
making the railroads revise their methods
Of transporting stock over zoo cases
have been worked up since the law went
into effect
In each ease the request has been made
10 the Department OF Justice to instruct
the district attorney where the offense
was committed 20 bring suit and IN case
of desire to settle. demand the fun pen
atty OF 800 This policy IL carried out
will bring 20 the Treasury during the
year a large revenue. The cases now
pending involve fines to the amount Of
S350,oo
Went Back Home.
\ prominent attorney for one OF the
largest Western roads came to Washing
ton this week 10 make an appearance in
"a case against his road The car in
question had run eight hours over the
time limit He urged that as il was O.
first oneHse and the oyerruu was not ex-
cessiye the department might well afford
20 be- Ienient
He was asked % take seat for a few
minutes and clerk was sent 10 bring
. iu the cases against the road which the
attorney represented. The clerk came
back with big armful OF jacketed docu-
mcuts. There We're eighty-six cases
against his road. The amount involved
Was $500
The latter arose az once. saying that De
would not waste time on the single case
that had called him 20 Washington but
would take tho next train for Chicago
and see that regulations were issued 10
stop further violations Of the law by the
employees OF his road.
The president OF another big Western
road was here last week before the Inter
state Commerce Commission. and took
the opportunity 90 visit tIe Department
/ Of Agriculture 20 register his objection TO
the enforcement Of the tweuty-eight-hou
law. He said his road was hauling stock
ears "a distance Of twelve miles from ST.
Paul 20 the stock yards in South 81
Paul Cars received from the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern had been
found 20 have gone over the limit
Why should my road be- punished for
what those roads have d0uc2" he asked.
I You people down here ought to be- rca-
sOuable iu enforcing a law. ! have al
ways thought that officials charged with
the enforcement of d laW that works a
hardship should be endowed with d mVdi-
cum of common sense
Mast Refuse Cars
You know the law" was the answer.
"Why do you take a car that has a
penalty against it2 You stop doing that
and YOU will have no more trouble. The
/ law viii be enforced. II you once or
twice refuse a car the other roads viii
see to it that they stop and feed and
water without running over the twenty
eight hours
10 was pointed ont that FIN the cases that
had occurred stock trains had been run
I ten hours past the last place where the
cattle might have been Uuioaded. Had
/ the law been complied with In that way
many thousands OF dollars would have
/ Jeel saved.
The department has been able without
much trouble TO work up cases where the
/ law has been violated. The inspectors
question the stockmen. who travel on
/ the cattle trains. and get their affidavits
/ or statements. SO that they can be sub
/ pocuaed in case % prosecution, and Their,
/ is little difficulty in making out "a case
/ .lt.r..- h.. III -.-------L