The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-02-20
BALTIC. & OHIO TAXES THE LEAD.
II Will Put The Nine Hour System in
Force at Once.

A dispatch from Washington states
that the Interstate Commerce Com
mission is informed that the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad proposes to put into
effect at once throughout its system the
so-called mine hour law" which by its
terms does not become operative until
March next. The law limits the hour
Of service of all classes of train opera
tlves, particularly locomotive engineers
and firemen, train dispatchers, railway
telegraphers, tower men and, signal
operators. The dispatch continues:
Recently the Interstate Commerce
Commission was requested by the
operating vice-presidents Of 10 or II
important systems Of railway to extend
the time when the nine-hour provision
is to go into effect. 1t was pointed out
that nine hours constituted an unusual
and awkward period as duties of that
kind have to be performed in all the "a
hours Of every day. If two shifts of
train dispatchers, telegraph operators
and signal men each worked nine hours.
there would be period of 6 hours IN
every "A which could not be covered
satisfactorily, either to the mem them
selves but that tricks" of eight hours
might be better for all concerned, but
for such period of work the men could
not be paid wages which they would re-
/ gard as adequate for their needs. And
IN addition, it might be difficult to OBJ
tain the services of enough skilled men
to make up three shifts every "a hours
on all of the railroads in America.
The commission has set February 27
as date on which it will hear formal
! applications for an extension of the
] time of operation of the nine-hour pro-
vision.
/ However, the Baltimore and Ohio
does not propose to await the result of
! the hearing. AS explained to the com
1 mission, the purpose of the officials of
that system is to put the law into effect
immediately in order that both the Of
ficials and the operatives may become
familiar with the new conditions before
they are made imperative by the act
itself. 1t is the desire of the Baltimore
and Ohio officials to meet every reason
able require Of law that may be made
through the commission. Should the
operation Of the law be unsatisfactory
either to the men or to the railroad in
its practical operation, that fact may
be developed in time to have remedy
applied before March 4.
Another source Of qualification to the
, commission is the very general com
pliance Of the railroads with that pro-
vision Of the Hepburn act which makes
1t obligatory upon carriers to submit to
the commission monthly reports, cover
ing every phase Of the operation Of in
terstate roads. A few weeks ago it
was announced in a tentative way that
several important systems, notably the
New York Central lines, had declined
to furnish reports to the commission, in
accordance with the law and in con-
formity with the regulations and forms
prescribed by the commission. 1t was
held by the counsel for the New York
Central lines, for instance, that provi-
sion Of the law was unconstitutional,
and 1t was understood to be the advice
of counsel that the officials refuse the
reports. Within the past day or two
an understanding has been reached be-
tween the commission and the New
York Central by which the road has
filed with the commission complete re-
ports of its operations for the five
months ended November 80 last The
commission now has complete reports
for five months ended November 80 of
SO per cent of the railroad mileage of
the country. Reports for the month of
December are coming in slowly.
Through these reports it will be
possible at all times for an investor to
ascertain definitely from the commission
the precise condition of any one of the
I3O interstate roads in America This
information ought to prove of great
value to investors