The Lambertville record., 1910-10-25
WILSON, THE THEORIST
His Utterances on Grade Cross
ings Show Ignorance
Of State Laws.

Trenton Oct. 1.-THE carelessness
with which DR.. Woodrow Wilson deals
with facts was illustrated in his speech
at Burlington, in which he declared
that railroads are allowed to construct
grade crossings without regard for the
safety of human beings. Among other
things DR.. Wilson said:
1.-THE first fundamental remedy is
legislative correction, which ramifies
in a hundred directions. Take the
mere detail that has been so much in
my consciousness during the last
twenty-four hours while l have been
crossing over this beautiful country in
an automobile. Every four or five
miles it seems to me we go across
tracks Of railway on level with the
highway on which l am riding. And
we recall that we have been allowing
these Indispensable arteries of COM
merce, these great lines of transporta-
tiOn, to cross our lands without any
regard for the safety of human beings.
Are you in such haste to get
your goods to market that you do not
care whether the grade crossings are
guarded or not? = Now we must
stop, look the whole matter over and
apply the proper legislative correc-
tion.''
Dr.Wilson was apparently unmindful
Of the fact that progressive legislation
has already been passed looking to-
ward the abolition and proper safe
guarding of railroad crossings. Under
a supplement to the act creating the
board of railroad commissioners and
prescribing their powers there are the
following provisions:
whenever complaint Is lodged
with the board of railroad commission
ers by the board of chosen freehold
ers of any county, the governing body
of any township or municipality or by
twenty or more freeholders and tax
payers of any township or municipal
ity to the effect that a public high
way and a railroad cross one another
in such county, township or municipal
ity at the same level and that condi-
tions at such grade crossing are such
as to make it necessary for the protec-
ton of travel over the same that gates
shall be erected at said crossing, or
that fiagman shall be stationed there
to give notice Of the approach Of an
engine or train, or that some other rea-
sonable provision for protecting such
crossing shall be adopted, it shall be
the duty of the board of railroad COM
missioners to give notice to the rail-
road company in interest of the fling
of such complaint and to furnish a
copy of the same to the railroad COM
pany and to order, If requested by the
complainants of any railroad company
at interest, hearing thereon. If
upon such hearing it shall appear to
the satisfaction of the board that con-
ditions at said crossing are such as to
make it necessary for the protection of
travel over the same, said board may
order and direct the railroad company
to erect gates at said crossing and
place an agent in charge to open and
close the same when an engine or train
passes. or that a flagman shall be sta
toned at such crossing who shall dis
play flag when an engine or train
Is about to pass. or that such crossing
shall be provided with some other rea-
sonable protection as the board deter
mines the better security of human
life and the public safety require.
"No municipality shall hereafter con-
struct or cause to be constructed any
new street or highway across the
tracks of any railroad company at
grade, nor shall any railroad company
lay tracks across any street or high.
way so as to make new crossing at
grade without obtaining therefor per-
mission from the board of railroad
commissioners"
If DR.. Wilson would take the trouble
to read some of the statutes of the
state of New Jersey he might spend
his time to better advantage than in
calling for legislative action on mat
ters which have already received the
attention of the legislature and which
have been made the subject of pro
gressive and intelligent laws
That there are many dangerous
grade crossings yet unguarded is un-
doubtedly true. but the legislature has
provided method whereby the peo-
pie can compel the protection of such
crossings and has also enacted law,
which has been and is being admins
tered, to prevent the construction of
new railroad crossings at grade with
out any regard for the safety of hu-
man beings" This last utterance Of
DR.. Wilson is but another evidence of
his ignorance of the Jaws of New Jer-
sey and the administration of New
Jerseys government