Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-06-05
RAILROAD SLAUGHTER CHECKED.
Good Work Of Railroad Commits
sion Under It's Increased Pow
ers-Freaueney Of Accidents
lessened and Greater Safety
of Travel Assured.
Political AdeertisinQ.

Political Adoerfising.
1t is pretty we'll known that at the last
session of the legislature additional pow
ers we're given the railroad commission,
but 10 what extent such provision has
operated toward making trave! by rail
in Vermont more safe, or how far the
conveniences Of such travel have been
made to conform 10 the requirements of
health and the reasonable speed of jour.
neying, the public has not heretofore
been informed. That such is the case
is not due to any disposition of the
Railroad Commission to withhold from
the public knowledge properly belonging
to it, but rather to the fact that great
and important work has been so quietly
and so easily done that public attention
has not been called to the matter in
specific cases. Indeed, the powers of the
Commission have been made so ample
/ that railroads as rule have needed the
requests of the Commission rather than
await its orders. Had the Commission
been obliged to apply its power as court
and it is court under existing law, in
| the numerous cases wherein its reuuest
has been sufficient, the public would be
| fully aware of its activities.
In its relations to the railroads tray
cling public is most of all interested in
the safety of railroad travel. In the
not far distant past, the frequency OF
accidents upon one of Vermonts princi.
pal railroads became matter of causi ic
comment if not one of actual anxiety
and alarm. While none of those acct.
dents reached the dimensions Of a "rai.,
way horror the most of them approach,
to the very line where so-called "luck V
accident ends and an appalling destrnc-
tion of human life begins. This state
OF affairs will be remembered BY every
body who had occasion to travel by that
railroad line, and during the period, il
no disaster entailng large death list
resulted, it certainly was not due to the
roads heaviest aud best passenger trains
not frequently leaving the rails or that
the running service was at all times free
from careessness inconsistent witt,
the safety of travel.
Alta time Immediately following a
succession of accidents, it was observed
that high officials of the railroad here
referred to, accompanied by the road 5
most important legal advisers, descend
ed upon Montpelier from the director 3
car of the road and had private en-
ference with the Railroad Commission
at the latter's room in the state house.
1t then leaked out that the conference
related to the conditions that occasioned
such frequent accidents and, although
just what TRANSFERRED at the meeting has
never been made public, the infreunency
of accidents since that time leads to
very definite conclusions. Had the
commission been made up of weak men
no doubt the dangerous neglect could
have been continued even in the exis-
tence of the Commissions ample powers.
But, apparently, the railroad knew with
whom it had to deal and wasted no time
in sitting up and taking notice. The
apparent results have been as follows:
The railroad very soon settled a
troublesome strike that had long exist.
ed in its mechanical department, certain
changes were made in responsible heads
in that department, and better average
service in its telegraphic operating force
at many stations was effected. The 70.