The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-05-28
SAYS US. MUST STOP
CONTINUED MURDERS
OF RAILWAY WORKERS

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 27.-
With the knowledge that they are
fighting for the safety of human
life on the railroads of the country,
>handful of labor men, in an ag-
gressive campaign for the passage Of
Dill by congress for the federal in
spection of locomotive boilers, are
step by step driving to cover one Of
the craftiest and most powerful lob
bies of railroad officials and attorneys
that ever assembled in Washington.
Outnumbered four to one and grad
yates only of the. school Of labor, tho
played a strategetic move that nearly
took the breath away of the legal
luminaries in the employ of the COM
pnr:ies, much to the amusement of
friendly members Of the house COM
nlittee en- interstate commerce.
We're Readily Converted.
when we presented a mass of evi .
dence,' said w. E. Willis, assistant
chief Of the Brotherhood of Engin-
GERS tefore the committee, showing
that lives are lost and workers are
Injured due to the lack of proper in
spection and repair of faulty locomo-
tive boilers, the gentlemen represent
ing the railroads made the plea that
the federal inspection would cost the
government too much money and
that it Is an unnecessary expense
since the railroads inspect boilers
themselves. .4<'
J. Nov we have become converted
hIy IL
taasr he faced the we'll fedaand groomed
aggregation of railroad khirelings, each
betraying suspense and uieasiness
Eyes. we have amended our bill I'd
take in their ideas and"
where's the bill?''
I'VE haven't seen it."
What is" -:
!, All Cut and Dried. =
1.-The bill will be introduced today
| by Representative Townsend" con-
! tinued Wills after the excited inter-
! ruption, "and 1t provides for fedora
| supervision Of boilers by the railroads
| and will cost the government only
| about $350,000 a year. This new bill
| cuts down the number of government
| inspectors to one-third, and should
| certainly meet with the approval OF
! the gentlemen representing the rail.
! roads, ~ =
The railroad lobbyists, after hur.
ried consultation. announced to the
| committee that they must first look
over the new BILL =.
AS if they had no faith whatever
| that the railroads would accept the
new bill even though it overcomes the
objections so eloquently made by
them at the hearings of the old bill
the labor men resumed their present.
alton of evidence in support of the
| principle that the government must
| protect the workers and the passen'
gers on interstate railroads. 2fs*''~
Disproves Magnate's Figures.
H. 8. Jeffrey. a boiler expert, gave
the lie to Vice President Hendrick.
! of the Santa Fe, who had testified
! before the, committee that, according
! to the figures Of the railroad com.
panies, 98.7 of the boiler explosions
| arc due to- the carelessness Of the
! workers themselves. By the official:
! records Of the master boiler makers
| he proved that explosions Of boiler:
are due to faulty designing. faulty
construction, lack of inspection an6
| lack of proper repair. 49, =
question from Chairman Mann
brought forth the interesting inform.
alton that the railroads have beer
unusually active in inspecting and. re.
pairing locomotive boilers since the
federal inspection bills were intro.
! duced. -za+fET@