The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20
Justice to the Dispatcbers

Editor OF The Timos-DssDatoh.
sir.-Doea not your paper ,,pin,o,,i,-..,-
~ 90 an Injustice TO Train Disratcber
noi ntou In your summary OF -
oea.s corporation Comm ssi0n's report
OF h@r inVesugatiOn Of the larnentatio
southern Railway wreck. IN watch Fsresi-
4eht spencer was Killed. YOU saw .ar5
me commission criticized the failure ~
we dispatcher az Lyuchhurg 20 report Tie
oeiecuvs condition or one az the trains.
OF the collision"
But what says the report7 Pa-agranb
t"o OF TIE commissions own summary
olsunctiy states that the defective oondf-
ZION OF the train should have BEEN ~
ported 70 the oispatchcr'' and Instruction
asked OF him. and paragraph eight says.
D!spatcher Thornton. at Lynchburg.
should have known OF the condition OF
train %. and that definite instruction
should have been given the conductor a.
70 handing the car with defective coiiu-
Angs. Are We 20 assume that the conn
mission Intends 20 csnsure the dispatch-
CT IN paragraph eight for lack OF infor-
nation which paragraph two censures
anotnsr for not furnishing hlu7 i think
not Moreover. ] take u THAI the aver
age dispatcher and railway official viii
naturally wonder what - the commits
sion conception Of the scope % dis
patcher's duties. especially IN connection
with the making Up and inspection OF
trains AZ terminal points where there are
yard masters. statlon-nasters aad IN
epectors
As IN the thousands ~ columns ~ ~
cent newspaper discussion ~ the railway
question in AL its ram locations the fuuc-
ions OF che dlspatchers has not percert-
tDiy figured. u may he pardoned an Old
knight Or the KEY 20 exprHs his sense Il
pleasure taat his brothers have maintain
I'd such m excellent record OF freedom
patience as a class. Is demonstrated
str-kingly by their silence when tho press
correspondents - generally ccnfouud
their positions with others. especially
with the telegraph operators. u hose due
ties are surely important and essential.
but by no means Identical with those q
the dlspatchers. The train dispatcher
figures out and transmits the train orders
70 the operators. whose duty 10 is 20
properly copy and deliver the orders
10 the trains The travelling public sees
the operators sometimes. hut seldom
comes in contact with the Isolated knight
OF TIE key. whose brains are ever b4stiy
engaged IN keeping things moving with
safety and dispatch And I trust pardon
Mil % graciously granted re for saying
that as class the railways have no more
loyal and faithful employees thon trs
train dispatchers.
And. after all the elaborate discussion
~ the railway question one thing ls
especially clear 90 rejecting minds. and
that ~ that justice must be granted where
justice "a demanded. that in strenuous
ly insisting upon square deal by tie
railways the public must not allow any
abnormal prejudice GO hamper the natu-
raj up-bl!iders q our country. a just
conception OF the logical community OF
interests by the railways and the plr-
lie and fine esprit d. corps iu IL
railway army. unmarried hy selfish mo-
lives and agitations. wil 20 very tar to-
wards settling the railway problem.
W. NJ. BICkERS.
Richmond, Va. january 3d..