The Washington herald., 1910-06-05

GTUN dEh ALL, Y ~ Ia -
every bin that was sent to him by Con-
gress. Benjamin Harrison was like Mr..
Cleveland in many respeets-seemingly
hard and cold because he was always
busy. Neither President walked the
streets nor attempted to gain personal
popularity. Gen. Harrison gave me the
pen with which he signed the first safety
appliance act passed by Congress"
Tell me about the law" said
I'VE supposed that a large number of
men were killed or injured while coupling
freight cars, but we didn't know how
frightfuI conditions really were until we
got the facts The average working life
Of a brakeman, we found. was only seven
years. We obtained the figures, and then
wrote the bin requiring the cars to be
coupled mechanically. Next, we prepared
bill substituting air brakes for hand
brakes. Men were slipping on icy cars
and being killed. Sometimes they were
blown off by the wind"
Were the bills opposed?" asked.
Finds Bills Opposed.
Desperately. It has been said that
safety couplers and brakes cost the rail-
roads more than Sl00OOO,0O0. I sent men
to the national conventions OF both po-
litical parties, and had automatic coupler
and air brake planks put into the plat
forms. We fought six years in Con-
gress President Harrison wrote three
A-sh
P. German sent word that he would
drive me out OF Washington, I told him
to go to h. Amos J. Cummings. the
Journalist and Tammany Representative.
came 10 me one day with a telegram.
We are agin' the safety appliance bill.
the message read. Do all you can 10
kin IL, and have yeur friends do the
same. The message was signed Richard
Croker After talking with mel telling
him that he could dodge. as We didn't
need his support-Cummings said: III
see Croker in hades ten thousand miles
deep before I shall play either the cow
ard or knave The bill gets my vote
And" Mr.. Moseley added. Cummings
was as good as HIS word"
What remains TO be done in the direc-
tion OF making travel safer"
The human factor must be eliminated.
so far as possible. in the running OF
trains Man viii make mistakes. Elec-
trical devices now cause signals OF dan
ger to be displayed, but the signals are
not always observed We shall have an
invention one of these days that will
automatically shut of the steam OF en-
engine when there is trouble ahead.
Further than that. we must have better
rails. The best steel is at the bottom Of
the furnace. The dross is on top. Only
the bottom steel should be used in rail
making"
Must Limit Hours.
should the government do anything
more for the employees Of railroads."
! There IS a law against working a
/ railroad man more than sixteen hours at a
/ time The law ought to be enforced.
We had hard battle to get it on the
! books. Il Is now being contested by the
/ railroads. The government should see
/ that IL Is sustained and then carried out.
/ Perhaps the hours should be reduced"
HAS the regulation Of railroads been
+ OF practical benefit TO the peoPle?"
"Oh. most assuredIy. Formerly, when
/ a man took a carriage TO the railway
| station he paid for the service Mt a rate
( established by the municipality. Hack
4 men had to post the official tariff OF
/ fares inside their vehicles as a measure
against robbery. But the man. passen-
( ger or shipper. arriving at the depct
/ found a halo OF sanctity aroInd the head
of the ticket seller or the freight agent
and he paid the price demanded, unles.
he decided TO walk or carry his good,
on hts back All information and al
power for performing a public function
were centered IN the railroads them
selves.
Cou1d End Rebates,
"a big shipper could negotiate or hav,
a friend, relative, or a tool In the traf
fic department. The merchant on the OF
posite corner from Marshall Field, II
Chicago. saw Field prospering and under
selling him because Of rebates that wer,
denied every one else. The Standard OF
Company made an arrangement by whicl
the railways lined their own pockets an,
paid II 81 q barrel for all the oil tha
was shipped by its competitors. Sucl
swindling Of the public is now outlawed
Rebates and determinations. largel.
stopped, could be stopped altogether 1
our courts would send some responsible
railway official to prison-not an under
strapper. who is obeying orders, but
bright and shining light in the world o
high finance One TAIL sentence, serve
10 the last minute. would wholly clea
the atmosphere"
Though your family has lived in Ne1
England since 1890" I said. 'you wer
once elected president general Of tn
American-Irish Historical Society,""
''Yes. I investigated and discovere
that way back there was Celtic blood I
my veins. I have been Dragging abou
II ever since"