Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-10
CHECK ON ACCIDENTS
Method of Preventing Railroad
Disasters Proposed.
TO PENALlZE COMPANIES
Representative Lewis Would Have
Heavy Compensation Paid to
Injured Employees.
TO PENALIZE COMPANIES

An unique method Of preventing. by
legislation, railroad accidents In the
United States. was suggested today by
Representative David J. Lewis Of Mary
land to the commission to investigate
the matter Of employers liability and
workmen's compensation.
He proposed to so penalize the mere
happening of accidents. through the
compensation that must be paid to in
jured employees, that the employers will
be under the most urgent financial
pressure to take all precautions against
accidents The plan. Mr.. Lewis said.
has been embodied in q bill which he
has introduced in the House. but he
gave the credit for the authorship Of
the measure to the National Civic Fed
Grafton.
Representative Lewis presented to the
commission tables showing the ratio OF
accidents on American railways to those
on railways in foreign countries. and
pointed out that the tables are not cred
tia Bile to the American roads, there being
four or Ave accidents on American lines
to every one on the lines in some other
countries.
Causes Of Accidents.
are due both to the men and to the
managers. Admitting that there is a
spirit among employees that regards the
rules of the road as permissive rather
than peremptory, he declared that the
roads themselves had not done police
duty enough to see that the rules are
obeyed and violations punished.
One general manager Of a big system.
however, has done some police duty oy
an -on-the-road' detective system.
and It has been claimed for him that
there have been substantial reductions IN
the number Of employees killed and In
iured. If roads are compelled to make
sufficient compensation Tor injuries IN
thew will inaugurate similar "out-on-the-
road" detective systems.
The hearing before the commission this
morning was held to consider the Legal
phases of legislation by congress Ior
fixing employers liability and workmen's
| compensation. In outlining the question
| before the commission, Senator Suther-
| land of Utah, its chairman, declared that
! the commission:
| First. had unlimited power to deal with
emnloyes Of the federal government.
Second, had probably as much power,
perhaps more, to deal with the ques0on
as IL affects the territories and the Dis
| trict of Columbia as state mas WIN
r0SDoCJ
Third. had power to deal with employees
of interstate carriers.
Power Of Congress.
The question before the commission,
he added, is how great Is the power OF
Congress to deal with the employees OF
the interstate carriers.
Alfred p. Thorn. general counsel OF
the southern railway. the first speak
ar. explained that two cases In which
this congressional power is an issue
now are before the United States Su-
preme Court. and that the legal rep
resentatives Of the railroads. at a
meeting held here yesterday. had de-
cided to ask postponement OF the
presentation Of their views until after
the decision days Of the Supreme
Court for the summer are over. There
are two more. he said. before the court
ad1ourns for the summer, and there IL
a possibility the decisions in the two
cases will be handed down on ono OF
those. He asked to be heard some
time in June. and the request was
granted by the commission.
James A. Emory. general counsel OF
the National Association OF Manufac-
turers, told the commission that the
organisation desired to present later
had sent to Europe to study the en-
nloyers' liability legislation there.
A. R. Brown Of this city also asked
| to be heard later. on behalf of q COM
nittAe Of the commission on uniform
tfv Of state laws,