Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-02

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Kanawha, Feb. I'm these days of
numerous railroad accidents, here's
another danger. the direct cause of
which Is that of car shortage. A rail-
road agent says that recently in Mar
shalltown twentyse seven cars or grain
we're weighed and so overloaded that
transfer was made from all of them.
That one car of shelled corn, capacity
$4,000 pounds. contained 10000 pounds.
The reason is, grain dealers are unable
to get cars put In overweight, not to
save freight charges, but to get the
grain out Of the elevators. A recent
order from the railroad company makes
the station agent responsible II he al
lows overloaded cars to leave his sta
ton. This feature OF loading cars to
the danger point only shows another
feature of reckless business, no mat
ter IL such risk on the part of the ship
per results in broken down cars, wrecks
and loss of life. "The devil take the
hindmost."
There was once grain dealer IN
Iowa that offered freight conductor
and crew two dollar bill II they would
tranesfer some way freight from one
car to another and let him have the
empty car to load with grain. 1t was
done. The other grain dealer In town.
got next" reported the whole business
to the division superintendent with the
result that the whole freight crew was
fired. There are several wrongs about
this business. First, the grain man
that paid the two dollars was wrong.
The crew that took 1t did wrong. The
other man that told Of 1t was wrong.
and the superintendent was wrong.
Just the same, the degrees Of wrong
doing somehow seem the heaviest on
the grain dealer that "squealed," at
least that's what the town people seem
to think.
Another grain dealer says that this
to the farmers. The idea IL, II every
body could get cars all of this big crop
would be rushed to market and much
lower prices prevail Says It's particu
larly true OF oats and shelled corn.
That spectators in Peoria and Chicago
with legitimate present demand. sat
isfied with receipts, when the supply
exceeds such demand prices are always
lowered to check the supply and Of
ferings bought always at less prices.
"The recent epidemic OF terrible
wrecks makes it probable that the year
ending June 80 1907, will show a worse
record than any previous year. That
conditions are actually growing worse
instead OF better is further confirmed
by the tabular statement Of collisions
and rerailments. 1t will be seen that
collisions increased from 6.224 in 1905
to 1874 in 1906, and derailments grew
from 5,371 in 1905 to 6.261 in 1906.
These train accidents cost the lives OF
almost a thousand persons and manned
a whole army of nearly 1900 more.
"Surely, surely, surely this record OF
death and disaster appeals most pow
erfully for remedial action of some
sort. We have had long trial of the
plan of letting the railways conduct
their business their own way; and any
person must admit that
the plan is a dead failure. Casualties
are increasing and not diminishing.
The dangers of railway travel In the
United States today are proven by sta
tistics to be more serious than ever
before. Our Wall street railway kings
are intent on deals and strategic moves,
high finance and underground politics
but they are singularly blind to the
fact that the reckless railroad opera
ton Of the day Is creating strong
body of public opinion in favor Of gov
eminent ownership, which must be
reckoned with in the near future.
ut Is true, of course, that the tech
meal features Of railway operation are
beyond the grasp of the layman; but
there is all the more need. therefore
of calling in expert aid and advice. III
SO far as any railway is conducting Its
operations with the best methods and
appliances and maintaining high
standard OF discipline and efficiency, il
has nothing to fear and no reason for
oposing government supervision Of its
working. There will, therefore, be
good reason to look with suspicion on
any railways which try to defeat in
congress measures looking toward gov
eminent investigation of railway acci-
dents"
The above newspaper clipping is just
what the people of Iowa are saying to-
day. 1t is talked everywhere and many
are looking to the present legislature
for corrective laws, Many impractic-
able suggestions are made, but there
is general feeling that Iowa can pass
and enforce laws that will greatly re-
duce the loss of life within it's borders
Here are some of the less radical laws
desired: First, limiting the hours pei
day any railroad employee shall work
of course, making necessary exceptions
Second, compel all railroads to install
the block system, and then make 1T a
criminal offense for any employee to
break the block; certain exceptions to
be named in the law. Third, pass a
law making it penitentiary offense for
any railroad employee to disregard
printed rules. Fourth, in all collisions
Wnere HE is loSl, Hldhe ~ peHieeA
tiary offense for the employees Is
blame, such blame to be fixed by the
railroad commissioners. Fifth, en-
power and make it part of the du-
ties Of our railroad commissioners to
inspect personally or by deputies, rail-
road tracks, bridges, rolling stock, and
the number of employees for such work
as car inspection, bridges, switches
etc. Also to make regular inyestiga-