Graham guardian., 1908-08-14

part OF thoSe injured.
A comparatively small section
of the public is aware of the acci
dent bulletins ISSUED by the Union
and Southern Pacific Railroads. 1t
will probably be news to many of
my readers that such bulletins have
been issued for publication, and
their perusal would doubtless in.
crease their respect for the efforts
of the railroad to make travel
safer. rhe bulletins make special
mention of the principal accidents
with a statement as to the causes,
as, for example: "This accident
was due to failure to properly set
the brakes in the Cheyenne yard, "
defective track" "improper flag
ging aud control of trains" "fail-
ure to observe signals" "careless-
ness of an engineer" and are given
freely to the press. In all of these
employees responsible for the &C
cidents were properly disciplined
after careful inquiry made by spec
ial boards.
The railroad strives for publicly
/ in the case of each accident as it
occurs, by inviting publicspirited
citizens, especially representatives
of the press, to sit on these boards
of inquiry, so that none of the tes-
timony should be overlooked or
kept secret. Mr.. Pagan states it
as his experience that the secrecy
too often observed IN holding in
vestigations of accidents is one of
the chief obstacles to effective dis.
cipline. Certainly secrecy would
be hindrance to good discipline
and marks short sighted policy
wherever adopted.
Public Investigations followed
by just discipline are not the sum
total of the railroads efforts. They
begin much further back in efforts
at prevention through courses of
instruction for their employees
upon the theory and practice of
safety in rairoading. This lnstruc'
ton is organized as carefully as a
college course. At the head OF it
is body of experts familiar with
the evolution of safety apparatus,
from the original waving of the
hand by day and lighted candle
by night, down to the electric auto
matc of the present. From these
experts are assigned instructors
who travel over the company's
lines, covering the various sections
at stated intervals. Thus the
courses of instruction are given
with proper regularity.
Let the public add to the rules
the weight of Its opinion, and the
scale will turn. No one man, and
no body of men in this country is
bigger than public opinion, At
present railroads cannot enforce a
thoroughgoing discipline. | have
pointed out cases of discipline in
recording accidents and tests, but
l am aware, as every railroad Off
, cial is, that many minor cases are
passed over. Employees and petty
officers, vice principals represent,
ing the company, whose duty re-
quires them to report these breach
es, fear to do so. AS leading
technical journal very aptly said
not long ago;
The condition which must be
remedied Ia that railroad manage.
ments out of Difference to public
sentiment do not try to exercise
that rigor in disciplining railway
employees which safety of the pub
(, lie demands. 1t is an anomalous
but incontestable fact that the
public would cruelty the manage
ment that inflicts proper discipline.
We may be sure that the mo-
ment public opinion changes and
shows willingness to support
officials in enforcing vigorous DIS
cipline we shall see that change
recorded in high efficiency and a
lower death rate. The time is ripe
for such turn. The public has
had sprfeit Of abusing corpora.
tions; it has arrived at the element
of justice underlying the move.
ment Of general attack and dis
trust. 1t has reached the position
that railroads as public service cor
porations are under special obli-
cation to regard the public wei
fare. Now we must see to 1t that
the railroads receive the inestima-
bic support of its great influence
in securing discipline and efficiency
from those who while serving
them serve the public.
| Discipline and consequent ELI
cheney in our army and navy
would be absolutely destroyed if
all officers from the commanded
in chief down were indiscriminate-
ly condemned and held up to pub
| lie execration. Under such condi.
! tions II would not be long 6eto'~