The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-24

store the late lamented pass to its for
mer vogue Seven bills have been intro
duced to give certain privileged classes
the right to ride free. These range all
the way from Confederate veterans to
publishers.
Senator Penrose has introduced bill
giving certain colleges $4,000 to use in
determining the hammer blow, centrifugal
lift and tangential throw of counter bal
ances As various colleges. railroad COM
panies and mechanical engineers have al
ready gone into this subject pretty fully
without waiting for government aid, the
value of this scheme, except to the col
leges that get the money, is not apparent.
Full Crews Provided For
Still another proposed measure is one
providing for Full crews" Four bills have
been introduced on this subject. and four
more limiting the hours that railroad
man is 20 be permitted to labor. One
of these bills, introduced by Representa-
tive Murphy of Missouri imposes pen
atty of $500 for permitting any employe to
work more than eight hours without TAX
ing a rest of 16 hours.
Other proposed laws require sleeping
cars to be equipped with safes, provide
for the federal Incorporation of railroads,
fication by the Interstate commerce com
mission, the physical valuation of the
railroads by the commission, prohibit the
transportation of the products of convict
abor and esta blish commission to inves-
tigate labor disputes.
One of several bills on the subject of
block signals empowers the interstate
commerce commission to order any rail-
road to install them on one-fourth of its
- I'll, TOD H. \
by Representative Martin of South Da-
kota specifies dimensions of locomotives
cars and distance of structures from
track.
Another class of bills deals with freight
claims. One by Representative Rodenbers
of Illinois Incorporates the freight claims
|, clearing house, which will create several
offices with salaries of 5000 a year. The
incumbents of less desirable but more
numerous places are to adjust freight
claims by shippers promptly. Another bill
by Representative Madison of Kansas is
meant to compel railroads to pay Just
claims within 80 days. If they fail to do
so the claimant may add his attorney S
fee TO his claim. The bill provides no
test by which a Just claim can be iden-
titled
Compensation for Deaths
A bill by Representative SABBATH of Il
iiiols pfOVlueS Tor FEDERAL COmpeQSa ton
for deaths and injuries on railroads, all
claims to be paid within 30 DAYS. Funds
are to be raised by levying a tax of s1O
on each car and locomotive In 1908 there
were 2,302055 cars and locomotives on the
railroads of the United States, so that
this tax would amount to the sum of s2s.-
000. 900.
Various bills in House and Senate nro-
VIDE that rates may not be raised from
october !, 1910, and automatically post
pone any increase in rates against which
protest is lodged. A bill by Representa-
tive stevenson of Minnesota provides for
the appointment of a receiver to oper-
ate railroad during strikes One Inv
Representative Hardy of Texas comneIs
railroads 10 transfer freight to wharves
on rivers and lakes, while another nv
Representative Graham of Pennsylvania
would compel railroads to furnish stakes
and cross wires for cars of lumber Sey-
eral others make II unlawful to cbargs
more Tor short haul than for Inns
maui. still Others restrict the issue Of
securities, prohibit disclosures regard;ns
shipments, etc
Inc transportation of misbranded insec-
tlcides, provision for monthly accident 70
ports under oath and prohibition on the
hauling of cars not equipped with sarat,
appilances after July /. 1911. have passed
| poth housess been signed by thu pcs,
dent and are now laws