The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-03
ACCIDENTS ARE
DUE TO EMpL DYES
Writer IN Santa Fe magazine
Saws Public Safety Is
Ignored.
NEW ATTITUDE IS URGED.

cREATER RESPECT ron THEIR
OWN POWER THAN THEIR Du-
~.
Topeka, Kan, Jan. 2.-"The abuse Of
the power OF railway brotherho0ds In
their relation to safety, or rather their
Interference with the diciplinary meas
ures OF railway arrangements, has a
very direct bearing on the question Of
the saSe and expeditions handling OF
traffic"
This statement is made in an arti-
Gle on Safety in the last issue Of the
6anta re Employees Magasine, which
81 causing no end Of comment among
operating men over the entire line. The
article was written by prominent
member Of one OF the railroad broth
erhoods, and is the third Of series on
the same subject. The name OF the
author will not be disclosed until the
last article appears. The articles are
D strong indictment Of the present at
tltude of the brotherhoods upon the
subject Of safety.
The writer, who believes that the
time is fast approaching when the
American public will call the operat-
ing employees to account for the lax
way In which they are discharging
their duties to the travelling public,
says:
Will Blame Employees.
II may be mistaken, but it does
seem to me that the American people
ere going to look more and more every
year TO the individual employe. instead
OF railway companies. In placing the
biame for disastrous wrecks. There
are many men who are cOnvcrBant
with the numerical strength Of the rail-
way brotherhoods who are saying to
themselves and to others. You broth
erhDod men, with your vast aggrega-
tiOns OF organized members. covering
territory stretching from the Bay OF
Fundy to the Golden Gate, and from
Alaska to Panama, what are you do
Ing? What have you done In the past
to prevent accidents or to assure us
that the safety of loved ones we in
trust to you has had and will have
the vigilant care and attention that
the unity Of the brotherhoods can give
M il wiliY''
One reason for the apparent lack Of
interest of the men and OF the brother
hoods is the problem OF safe operation.
nc says, is the fact that there has been
q Eort of impression that this was a
matter for the railway arrangements
to attend to. In all the writer's ex-
perience he does not remember OF the
subject OF safety ever having been
brought up in the meetings OF the
motherhood.
He now recommends that portion
of the time Of each brotherhood meet
ing be given over to q discussion Of the
7 OF the means and Of the necessity for
cafe operation. What we need Ut
this time" he says, ID not q great,
soul-stirring revival OF interest In the
Oubject, but rather a moral awakening
TO the fullest sense OF how deeply we
ore all concerned in the safe handling
Of trains. which help to compose the
greatest Of all public utilities, the rail-
ways"
The statement is made that many
operating employees have greater Ne
spect for the power OF their organisa-
lions than for conscientious atten-
tion to duty. which the companies have
right to expect. He says: !,
1.-THE result Is that certain classes
OF employees are careless in their oh
servance OF the rules, in accordance
with the attitude Of their organization
in fighting for disciplined members,
and this necessarily touches cogently
upon safety.
"Officials are well aware and broth
erAood men we'll know that these CON
ditions exist and that they vary. too.
according to the conservative methods
employed by the different orxanixa-
ti0ns-but we all know that they do
exist to greater or lesser extent in
MI Of them. And yet brotherhood men
through mistaken sense Of loyalty or
fealty to their order refuse to admit
except to other members. that such
things are done. believe that it is a
very serious abuse Of power and one
that does not advance the interests OF
organized labor On railways and which
also has the grave tendency OF block
ing the proper enforcement OF discip-