The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-05-13
NEWS AND VIEWS
OF WASHINGTON
Interesting Letter From Our Special
Correspondent.
FEWER RAILROAD ACCIDENTS
Reassuring Figures Furnished b,
Department Of Labor--items Of
Interest to People of the
Sixth District.
(By CYRUS Foss stoddard.l

the fiscal year, ending June 80, 1908,
there were 1886 less passengers and
employees killed by the railroads OF
the United States than during the
previous twelve months; and of the
killed and injured the figures for 1908
show 1926 less than for 1907 The
total passengers killed during 1907
was CAT; in 1908, 406. The 22nd An
nual Report of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, just issued from
the Government printing Office, in
commenting on these figures, says:
This is a gratifying decrease and
yet, except for the increased use OF
the block system, there Is no evidence
that the railroads generally are in
Producing in their methods any radi-
cal changes which will tend to make
their service safer. But there should
be no abatement in legislation re-
quiring railroads to employ the most
improved safeguards for the safety
OF the public and of their employees"
The net earnings for 1908 were
$111,051 ,006 less than for 1907, but
were in excess of those for 1905.
RAILROAD traffic." continues the re
port, appears now to be rapidly ap:
preaching the normal level OF the
past few years, and this srould be
peculiarly gratifying to the public as
q reliable assurance of the general
business prosperity of the country
In this connection it is well to note
- N tlxr In
troduced by Senator Borah, of Idaho.
BY this bill the Senator proposes to
compel the railroads of the country
to be more careful in providing EN-
ployes for their trains. He believes
that any passenger, mail or express
train, composed of less than three
cars, should have at least one engin-
eer, one fireman, one conductor, one
baggagemaster and one fiagman; and
that in cases of more than three cars
there should be a brakeman in addi-
ton. A freight train of less than
twenty-five cars snail be manned as
above, except that a brakeman shall
be supplied instead of the baggage.
master, and where there are more
than twenty-five cars, there shall be
one additional brakeman.
The bill was referred to the Com
mittee on Education and Labor, OF
which Senator Borah is the chair
man. and it is therefore very likely
that it will be reported favorably for
consideration at the regular session
in December.
Interesting Democratic Speakers.
Senator Bailey, of Texas, is I'M
questionably one of the best speakers
ON the democratic side of the cham. |
Der. During his speech in support
of his income tax bill, occupying twol
full afternoons, he was listened tol
attentively by senators on both sides
and also by galleries packed with
people. On the first afternoon, Mrs.
Taft, Mrs. Sherman and Mrs. Bailey
Occupied seats in the Senators gal.
lery, and followed the course of his
remarks with the keenest interest, |
and at the conclusion the Senator was
cordially congratulated by large
number of those present.
Senator Gore, OF Oklahoma, is an
other speaker to whom it is a pleas
ure to listen. Though blind, he has
wonderfully retentiye memory, and
has at his cammand q vast store OF
information on a large variety OIL
subjects. In debate on the floor he
is able to hold his own without diff
Guilty or embarrassment, as he ably
demonstrated in his clash with Sen
ator McCumber and Senator Scott
the other day. Mrs. Gore reads to
him and very little of the information
thus gained is lost.
Mr.. Rhinehart Gets Pension.
Notice has been forwarded from the
Pensin Bureau to Mr.. James A. Rine
hart, Oskaloosa that his claim for re-
issue of pension has been granted at
the rate of SIS per month. Also
Stephen S. Sager, of Monroe, has
received notice that hts claim for in
crease of pension has been allowed
at the rate of SIS per month. A wild
ow's pension of $l2 per month has
been granted to Mrs. Elizabeth }.
Haines, of Sully.
Quite often the Congressional Re-
cord which has reputation for con-
tanning nothing of an interesting ma
ture, furnishes amusement for those
who care to peruse its pages. The
other day Senator Smith, of Michi-
gan, introduced handful of bills, SO
OF which provided for the granting OF
original pensions to widows and in
creases to surviving veterans OF the
civil war After the secretary had
read the titles, Senator McCumber,
of North Dakota, arose and asked II |
all had been introduced by one Sena.
tor. Upon being informed by the
Vice-president that such was the case
the North Dakotan then said, Then
should like to ask the Senator from
Michigan the number of surviving
soldiers In the state of Michigan, and
how that number compares with the
number of bills he mas just intro
duced."
whereupon Senator Smith referred