The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-03-20

Railroad Commission Sends Out Series of Four Letters
to Transportation Companies With View
of Saving Human Lives.

that new blood is needed at the helm of
the party's ship in the next campaign
and that ii will not do to re-elect |
Goodrich or anyone connected with the !
Goodrich regime.
OF course, this sentiment may grow |
so strong by next winter. when the I
meeting will be held regularly for the |
reorganization of the committee. that it
will force Goodrich to quit the chair !
manship and allow some other man to |
be elected. And, on the other hand, 1t |
Goodrich or one OF his followers easy
sailing.
At any rate, the talk now is that no
meeting viii be held soon to elect a
successor to Goodrich.
Ry. Commission Sends Out Letters.
The Indiana railroad commission has
| prepared four letters which will be
sent out over the state within the next
few days that are of interest to all
railroad and trolley men and officials,
as we'll as to all city officials. because
they apply to the effort to protect
lives at grade crossings in the cities.
The first circular asks the common
councils and mayors of cities and
boards OF trustees In towns to enact
ordinances and make use of police pow
/ erS TO prevent the OF rub
Dish on railroad rights of way and
along tracks The commission calls
attention to the fact that when rubbish
is thrown along the tracks, as at pres
emit, it results in many accidents to
railroad employees engaged in switch
ing.
In the second letter the council and
the mayor or board of trustees are
asked TO enforce ordinances against
trespassing on q railroad right of way
in the effort to stop the killing of per-
sons who have no business on the right
of way. Last year there were killed in
Indiana 214 persons on railroad tracks
who had no right TO be there, and the
commission is trying to bring about a
different condition.
In order to prevent numerous deaths
and accidents on trolley lines due to
carless or inefficient operatives, a third
letter is being sent to traction officials
asking what provisions are made to
q determine the fitness Of employees and
what steps are taken to reward faith
full men. When the answers are in
8 conferences will be arranged with the
s commission and road owners seeking
to establish rules of procedure to bet
ter conditions.
The fourth letter will be sent to
steam roads concerning the conditions
of crossings and switch frogs, side
s rails and other parts Of the track, in
e order TO ascertain the best method OF
8 blocking frogs. The commission has q
: new plan for blocking by means of q
ridged block by means OF which the
/ sole of shoe worn by train opera
tives cannot be caught in a rail The
1 answers are in conferences will be held
on this subject also.
Robert J. Alley, the new state super
intendent OF public instruction, is not
4 going to make any radical changes in
the methods of conducting business il
his department, but apparently he is
: going right ahead, trying to run things
in about the same manner as they have
| been run heretofore. Among other
things, he says he Will not make any
marked change in the method Of grad
ing teachers manuscripts when they
are sent to the state superintendent
He will probably make changes in the
persons who do the grading, however
!, These graders are never known to tn,
public. An impression prevailed in Ger
tain parts of the state that an entir'
new system would be installed.
Alley has decided that in cases wher
townships are not able to continue thei
= schools for the full terms provided b,
law and no relief can be obtained from
the state because of the deficiency i
exhausted township trustees may is
sue a sort of promissory note to tn
= teachers for the amount due them 70
70 the full time and which cannot be paid
these notes to be taken up when tn
= township has the money to do so. Ale
= asked the attorney general about it an
the attorney general said this would b
proper and drew up a form of promis
sorry note for Alley to recommend to tn
"a trustees throughout the state.