The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-06-04
RAILROAD SLAUGHTER CHECKED.
Coed work III Railroad commissior
uEser lis lnJessea fowsrs--FFe-
agency a Aeciaeais Lessensa
ana Greater Safety Of
Travel Assured.

lNti sestsoB ~ Tho lcglilsiurr sddi,an.
Al psRru Wew gwen 10 railroad com,
mission. hsi q shat taleBi sBch pro.
risian Ass ogenigsi ioaAfd making
travel BY rail IN Vermont more safe. -
hgn fsf .ho eonrenignocs 81 sath irsy.
n have besn rads b conform 10 the
requirements ~ health and ihe reason
abls spetd u iogrneying, The pnblic
has aoi heretofore been informed.
That flrh q the ease i not due 10 any
desperation ~ ihe Railroad Commission
10 withhold from ihe public knoalcdgc
properly belonging 10 Il. bni rather 10
the fart lhal great and important
work has been 20 quietly and 50 easily
done that public attention has not been
called 10 The matter in specific cases.
Indeed, The powers u The Commission
have been made SO ample thai railroads
az a rule have hceded The requests OF
the Commission rather than await it,
orders. Had The Commission been
obliged 20 apply IT, power as court.
aud il is court under existing law, in
the numerous cases wherein L. request
has been sufficient. the public would
be fully aware Of is activities.
In is relations 10 the railroads the
travelling public is most OF all
interested 10 the safety Of railroad
travel, In the not far distant past, the
frequency Of accidents upon one OF
yermont's principal railroads became
a matter Of eaustic comment If not one
Of actual anxiety and alarm. While
none o. those accidents reached the
dimensions Of railway horror the
most Of them approached 10 the very
line where a so-called lucky accident"
ends and an appalling destruction Of
human lie begins. This state Of
Affairs will be remembered by every.
body who had occasion TO travel by
that railroad line, and during the per
iod, il no disaster entailing a large
death list resulted, Il certainly was not
due 10 the rond's heaviest aud best
passenger trains not frequently leaving
the rails or that the running service
was at all times free from careless
ness inconsistent with the safety Of
travel.
AT time Immediately following a
succession Of accidents, it was obsery
ed that high officials Of the railroad
here referred to, accompanied by the
roads most important legal advisers,
descended upon Montpelier from the
directors car of the road and had q
private conference with the Railroad
Commission at the latter's room in the
state house. Ii then leaked out that
the conference related TO the conditions
that oecassioned such frequent acci-
dents and, although just what tran
spircd at the meeting has never been
made public, the infrequency of acct
dents since that time leads to very
definite conclusions. Had the Com
mission been made up of weak men no
loubt the dangerous neglect could
iave been continued even in the exist
anee of the Commissions ample pow
srs. But, apparently, the railroad
knew with whom il had TO deal and
wasted notime in sitting up and taking
notice. The apparent results have
,een as follows;
The railroad very soon settled
troublesome strike that had long exist
a in its mechanical department. GER
ain changes were made in responsible
reads in that department, and better
average service in It's telegraphic oper-
ting force at many stations were
Elected The result of these changes
lue 20 the uDequivocal attitude of the
Commission has been that trains have
,een run approximately near TO the
timetable and that carelessness in the
Of trains from every point of
responsibility has been in large meas
Ise eliminated, with the consequence
hat accidents on that line have been of
10 menancing import for the the better
art of year. These facts argue but
ne thing and that is that railroad
raye in Vermont has become safer,
hat there is better protection Of life
nd limb guaranteed the travelling
ublic, because of an existing authority
efore whose mandates the railroads
iust bow. Il
Can the state afford any course that
] any way can weaken this force to
'hich the powerful railroad corpora.
ons must yieidi. Should il by any
action place in the
Secntiye Object Office that holds
&c appointing power in all the states
ANY man for whose ele-
alton the railroads are now clamoriug7
honld a policy thai guarantees, so far
, foresight aud regulation can guar
llee, the safe return Of loved ones TO
le home circle after entrusting their
ses 10 the railways, be weakened in
Ie slightest degree or for moment ,
aced where there can be a chance for
ich wcakeningf With the pllable
anton IN the goyeruorship, him for
hom The railroad support II now |
-. with what strength would this !
,liey be maintained in such extent as /.
e governors appoinliyc power could
achg
In all this most vital question con ,
onts The voters Of the state. Indeed. 4
ere IL none more vital. Shall the I
Ieciiyeness Of present authority over 7
e railroads be maintained by the =
eellon 10 the goyernorship Of Lieut..
ov Geo. IA. Pronty, whose attitude
,on the ease il positive aud nncom.