The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1908-03-12
Nine-HOur Law For Safety on Railroads
is Effective.

The law enacted by congress to
promote the safety of employees and
travellers upon railroads and limiting
the hours of service of employees
thereon" went into effect March 4.
the act, in brief, is as follows:
That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier, its officers or agents,
subject to this act, to require or per-
NIT any employee subject to this act
to be or remain on duty for longer
period than sixteen consecutive hours
and whenever any such employe of
any common carrier shall have been
continuously on duty for sixteen con-
secutive hours he shall be relieved
and not required or permitted again
to go on duty until he had at least
ten consecutive hours off duty; and
no such employee who has been on
duty sixteen hours in the aggregate
in any twenty-four-hou period shall
be required or permitted to continue
or again go on duty without having
had at least eight consecutive hours
off duty. Provided, that no operator,
train dispatcher, or other employe
who has by the use of the telephone
or telegraph dispatches, reports,
transmits, receives or delivers orders
pertaining to or affecting train move
ments shall be required or permitted
to be or remain on duty for a longer
period than nine hours in any twenty
four-hour period in all towers, Offices
places and stations continuously
operated night and day, nor for d
longer period than thirteen hours in
all towers, Offices, places and station:
operated only during the day time
except in cases of emergency, wher
the employees named in this provisc
may be permitted to be and remain
on duty for four additional hours in d
twenty-four-hour period on not ex
ceeding three days in any week
Provided, further, the interstate
commerce commission may, after full
hearing in particular case and for
good cause shown extend the period
within which a common carrier shall
comply with the provisions of this
proviso as to such case.
That any common carrier, or any
officer or agent thereof, requiring or
permitting any employe to go or re-
main on duty in violation of the Sec
oud section hereof, shall be liable to
penalty of not to exceed $500 for
each and every violation, to be re-
covered in a suit or suits to be
brought by the United States district
attorney in the district court of the
United States having jurisdiction in
the locality where such violation
shall be the duty of such district at
torney to bring such suits upon salts
factory information being lodged
with him; but no such suit shall be
year from the date of such violation;
and it shall also be the duty of
the interstate commerce COM
mission to lodge with the proper
district attorneys information of any
such violation as may come to its
knowledge. In all prosecutions I'M
der this act the common carrier shall
be deemed to haye had knowledge of
all acts of its officers and agents;
Provided, that the provisions of this
act shall not apply to any case OF
casualty or unavoidable accident or
the act of God; nor where the delay
was the result of cause not known
to the carrier or its officers or agent
in charge of such employee at the
time said employe left a terminal,
and which could not have been fore,
seen: Provided, further, that the
provisions of this act shall not apply
to the crews of wrecking or relief
trains.
Efforts to have congress repeal or
amend the law have been unwilling.
The interstate commerce has like
The LuekV 0uarter