Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-26
HUMAN LIFE VS.. TICKER

TN HERE are two points of view from
which the operation of a railroad
- may be considered. One, which
is happily recognized by our best lines,
takes into account the safety and COM
fort of the travelling public. The other.
which is responsible for a most appall-
ing record of disaster and death, con-
Germs itself only with the balance
sheet. The road that is run merely
for what it is worth in dollars, OBJ
viously cares less for the safety and
comfort of the travelling public than it
does for the effect produced upon the
investing portion of the public by the
figures of the stock ticker. 1t is the
stock ticker method of running rail-
roads that, to a great degree, is re-
sponsible for the fact that in 1906, TO-
jured on American roads. J. o. Pagan,
who is writing 1.-THE Confessions Of
Railroad Man" for the Atlantic Month
ly, gives expert testimony on the sub
ject. He says the cause is not far to
seek: 'Loss of grip by the manage
let slip unrectifed, all these amount
to little until railroad men wake up
out of the satisfied trance in which at
present they seem to be peacefully
slumbering.'' Railroad accidents will
always happen as long as they are
physically possible. Reduce the phys
ical possibility, and the record of year.
ly slaughter and manning will not be
so frightful. Accidents are always la
BILE to happen on the best regulated
roads, but the elimination of prevent
able accidents would reduce greatly the
American record, which, like several
other American records, is world
beater. Much has been done in the
direction of reforming railroad slaugh-
ter. What has been accomplished
shows that a great deal more could be
done. The enforcement of the national
law regarding airbrakes and patent
couplers saved the lives and limbs of
Numerous employees; almost eliminated.
for instance, the frightful mortality
which accompanied the old hand
coupler system.
The introduction of double track
systems has lessened the number of
head-on collisions which with single
| and to rolling stock. The general in
| PRODUCTION of double tracks everywhere,
| the abolition of grade crossings every
where, and the use of safety appli-
ances of all kinds, everywhere, with
out regard to their cost or their effect
on the ticker, will go long way in
the direction of lessening risk Of acct
dent. The human element, too, must
| be taken into consideration. Flesh and
blood could hardly endure the tax put
upon the nervous system by stretches
of long hours of hard, trying work
followed. after hardly any rest, by
another turn Of duty'-perhaps short
in itself, but affected by the physical
condition of the worker who had not
yet recovered from the effects of the
'long shift" If regard for the physica
and mental well-being of employees
does not prompt careful solicitude as
to the number of hours they work, ant
the kind of work they do when on duty
at least regard for the safety of the
public might take the place of con
| sideration for the employees! The frs
class railroad considers both the well
being of it's employees and the safet,
of the public and recognizes the fac
that to great extent the latter de
ponds on the former.
i If the railway companies will keel
the nervous department. the human
signal-systems, of their employees. il
good state of repair. then there will
be much less risk of an interruption
of the efficiency of the mechanical
signal service along the busy stee
highways.