The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-26
FOR SIXTEEN HOURS
Consecutive Labor For
Train Crews.
Mr.. James III. Pou Makes a Plea Tor
legislature to Decrease Penal
les Against Rail
roads.

Though official action hes not been
taken Yet the expire sion OF members
of the Public Service Corporations
Committee Of the House at a meeting
held yesterday make It certain lhat
the committee viii amend its bill max
ing Il hours of consecutive b the
maximum allowed to engineers ana
train crews to 1G hours.
The meeting was really a conference
between Representative koonce au-
thor of the bill for sixteen hours ana
other features for railroad labor. ana
the committee. whose bill providing
for Ii hours had been rc-committed
to il. Mr.. kconce urged that 16 hours
be the limit, as railroad terminals
were on this basis. and the engineers
asked for it. In this he was supported
by the statement Of state Treasurer
Lacy, formerly an engineer.
M. Koonce also asked that three
years service as fireman ana three
years as flagInan. be required before
fircmen could become engineers AMI
darmen BECOME conductors. state
Treasurer LScy could sec no objection
to this, it being urged by engineers u
CONDUCTOR Mr.. Henry Millcr. OF the
Southern Railway spoke against this,
as in case of strike all trains couId
be held up by striking engineers or
conductors if such 4 provision became
law. The committee has not aCttd
on the matter. but the expressions
seemed against the required three
years of service.
a Cali for IIcip.
Mr.. James Fl. Pou, attorney Tor III"
Atlantic Coast Line. At his request.
was heard by the committee with re-
latiOn to giving some hrIp anu assist
anCe to the railroads.
Mr.. Pou began by declaring that.
1T looked as if this Legislature IS
going to do what no other Legislature
has done, go into partnership IN the
management of the railroads. and that
if this is SO it behooved the state to
see that there was some
nrofit made by the roads
or that the law would fail His re-
! quest was that certain laws be passed
so rs to help out the railroads from
loss and waste, these being:
First. y moderation Of the penal
ties imposed on the railroads, as cases
are piling up ana agencies are bring
ing hundreds Of suits against the rail-
reads for delays in freight delivery. He
urged that h amount of penalties
be lessened 50 that there could be no
speculative suits.
Second. That a law be passed MAX
ing a felony of larceny from a car.
which was only protected by a seal.
that now there was no law to punish
any one breaking the seal and enter
ing a freight. car. He declared that
- Gil Ailiiil~IiSc dIllOulL Oh idI-
ceny from cars and that especially is
TINS 50 Of shipments Of WhiSkey pass.
ing through dry counties. that Il good
article Of cOrn Whiskey would b. sto-
len. While rye would be returned.
1hlrd. Some regulation as r.
the requirements about shipment
Of cotton as affecting the
case when burnt cotton is offered.
as failure to take ii means q penalty
n taking il means sometimes a fire
on the train.
Fourth. a law TO cover cases Of
stealing brasscs from cars. tina these
were often stolen and that parties
buying should be required To keep
full records 50 it right be known
where these were obtained.
Losses coming from these matters
he held to b. necessary lossc4. and
called upon tho committee to aid the
roads by some Inv reducing penalties
ana providing q redress from the 9TH
or grievances of which he complained,
declaring that if adjournment came
Without relief being provided for the
railroads that the deluge would be
upon them.