Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-24
ROADS WILL MOVE
TRAINS BY PHONE
TRANSPORTATION MEN DECLARE
SYSTEM IS SAFE, FAST
AND CHEAP.
HEARING ON s HOUR LAW.
Elver Act Made Additional Expense at
Time When Carriers Business
Dropped Off.
$50 STATIONS WITH TELEGRAPH.

MADISON, Wis, Jan. 21.-[Special.l
That the dispatching of trains by the
use of the telephone, instead of the tele-
graph, is step in advance was the
opinion of the railroad experts in the
hearing on the S-hour law before the
railroad commission yesterday afternoon
The testimony drew out the fact that
nearly every large road in the state is
employing the system to a limited ex-
tent, in some cases merely as an eX-
pertinent So successful has been the
operation of the plan on the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy, between Aurora
and Mendoza, after six months of trial,
it will be extended on other lines of the
state and next week the company eX-
poets to open up the service to Gales
vile, Ill.
Phone Safe, Says Ryder.
'"The use of the telephone is safe, it
not more so than the use of the tele-
graph, in the transmitting of messages
regarding the movement of trains, sald
w. w. Rider, superintendent OF the
traffic department of the Burlington.
1--WE have been using the system about
six weeks and we find it efficient and
about one-half the time is saved, even
when we require that all messages be
repeated. | believe the use of the tele-
phone for this purpose is the coming
thing and soon it will be world wide,
The North-W estern road has Installed
the system to limited extent on the
Madison division of its line. w. d.
Morse said that the telephone is not
only safe for the transmitting OF tram
dispatches, but it expedites the business
and does not jeopardize the railroad
business.
p. J. O'Brien, superintendent of the
No. worked
to the entire satisfaction of the company
and it would in time supercede the use
of the telegraph.
North Western to Extend 1t.
S. A. Lynde, attorney for the North
Western road, explained that it had
been the idea of the road for some time
past that the telephone service be eX-
tended. But few telegraph stations on
the line have been discontinued. He
estimates that the increase III the num-
Der of operators employed as the result
of the law, will Increase the expenses
$4,000 annually.
Testimony drawn out by Thomas Gill,
attorney for the Wisconsin Central,
showed that on the Ladysmith branch Of
the road, the use of the telephone for
dispatching trains had been in use for
two years and the results were entirely
satisfactory. Supt. Van Valtenberg, of
the rOdO, Sdlu LudL lie DSlISN GU LAiC SS oISAAA
would be extended in time.
Declare Law Hardship.
Where the telephone system has been
inaugurated since the first Of the year,
the different officials testified that the
passage Of the S-hour law only fastened
the use of this system. Nearly every
road, including the Omaha, testified that
the business had fallen off greatly in the
past three months. On the Omaha line
Mr. Strickland said it would be 80 per
cent. The S-hour law has made addi-
tional expense, just at a time when it
was necessary to cut expenses. So it
was found that people with less skill can
operate a telephone and the service is
just as safe.
Probably $50 stations of the state
have lost telegraph facilities as the re-
suit Of the law, but the figures compiled
by the Northwestern road showed that
in these places the average number of
commercial messages was only six a
month and the compensation 80 cents a
month. The commission has taken the
matter under advisement and either a
decision will be ordered on the facts, Or
perhaps further investigation may be
ordered.