The Detroit times., 1910-05-17
ENGINEERS TO SEEK
sAFETYFOR SELVES
AND PUBLIC
Will Urge Congress To Pass Bills for
Federal Inspection. Of Boilers and
Cutting Down Period of Con-
tinuous Service.
Believe That Fewer Accidents Will
Occur If These Pending Measures ;
Become Law.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers. now In session here, has In
dorsed two bills pending before coa-
gress, and, In consequence, Vice
Grand Chief Engineer II. Z. Wills, the
legislative agent OF the brotherhood
has gone to Washington for a confer
ence with q senatoial committee In
regard to these measures.
one or the bills, which has passed
the House of Representatives, calls
for federal inspection OF railroad en-
CINE boilers, in the same manner that
boilers of steamboats, are now inspect
cd. This system has made accidents
to marine boilers very rare, and II -
believed that II would have a good
effect on railroad boiler inspection, re-
placing the confusion Of state and lo-
cal inspections.
The other bill which the engineers
would like To See become law would
cut down the limit of continuous en-
ployment for trainmen TO Ia hours. A
federal law now fixes the limit as 16
hours at q stretch for any person haV-
ing to do with the moving OF trains.
Since this law was passed, the num-
Der of casualties has decreased. There
a q difference Of opinion as to wheth-
er this Is due entirely to the law OF
not. Railroad travel has not been SO
congested since the panic OF 1907, and
this, together with improvements In
roadbed, may have something to do
with the decrease.
Monday mornings session OF the
Brotherhood was given up 10 discus
sion with regard to the new building
in Cleveland There remains about
100000 to be paid on the structure.
and the question at issue Is as 20
whether this sum shall be raised at
once by assessment upon the mem
bers OF the order or provided by a
bond issue, the bonds to be taken
care OF by the revenue from the build
ing A great deal was said on both
sides Of the question and the decision
postponed until afternoon.
The convention Is keeping up Its
attendance despite the fact that Ii has
been In session almost a week There
were $500 persons on the special
trains that took the delegates and
visiting engineers and wives 10 Cleve-
land, Saturday, and many more re-
turned with them, so that there are
about 5000 convention delegates anu
visitors In the city at the present time.
They expect to continue the sessions
for about three weeks longer. a3ig
Engineers get away only occasion
ally. and they like to have a good time
and long holiday when they do get
away from the throttle. Consequently,
they are in .gYNburry to wind up affairs
and return home.
Most OF these delegates have
brought from $3.50 to $3.50 apiece with
them, and the convention is not going
10 close until that money Is spent" re-
marked a veteran engineer.
Tuesday afternoon will be held the
frst vest of the new collision prevent
ing device, on the Pere Marquette
tracks. This will not be Witnessed by
the convention as a whole. but COM
mittee will attend and Il21y OF the
visitors are also expected to go out
10 the trial grounds. The railroad has
provided two powerful locomotives and
the track to be used has been wired
Tor the test.
Now that the Brotherhood building
In Cleveland has been completed there
Is discussion as to the ACCESSIBILITY OF
holding all future conventions Of the
order in that city. Many oppose this
on the ground that delegates want an
opportunity to see different sections
Of the country while attending conven-
tons
Grand Chief Engineer Warren 8.
Stone is very strong advocate Of abb
stinence with regard to alcoholic bev-
erages. He took occasion to speak on
the subject at Friday afternoons ses.
sion. Afterward one Of the delegates
attempted to turn point on Stone.
"But all these Welcome, b. OF l.. E.
signs are in saloons" commented this
delegate.
"That is true" retorted Stone. but
you don't have to go inside the saloons
to read the signs"