Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-01-05

II is customary 10 aver tnat COM
pensation for injury and death win go
long way to reudce casualties, mean
ing that employers will install safety
devices, and exercise greater care in
the operation of dangerous machinery;
but / feel sure that, even with assured
compensation, and the most perfect
safety devices, there will always, be a
most terrible loss of life and limb. We
have reached that stage in industry Of
which it can be said we have gone
output mad" Every scientific means,
every mechanical device, has been en-
ployedv as an aid to production, and
with it the man has been shifted to
the. high speed which reduces the
efficiency of safety devices; for it
places the entire question of safety
automatically upon the device.
II almost wish my. paper had been
confined to the specific rules for safety
that are supposed to be in operation
on certain of our railroads. These
rules are for the legal protection of
the company, and it is not intended
the employees will observe them liter
ally. These rules are used as common
law defences against liability, and are
forced on the employee as condition
of employment.
Two Stories.
IF will quote paragraph from an
official railroad bulletin for the pro
lection Of the employee kind; and
then will quote from letter issued
by superintendent to his employees.
/ quote from the bulletin:.
Employees, before they attempt to
make couplings or to uncouple, will
examine and see that the cars or en-
gines to be uncoupled or coupled.
couplers, drawbacks, and other .ap-
pliances, connected Herewith, ties
rails, tracks, and readbed, are in good
safe condition. They must exercise
great care in coupling and uncoupling
cars. In all cases sufficient time must
be taken to avoid accident or personal
injury
..This rule is for the legal defense
of the company. Now note the rule
for the men:
Entirely too much time is being
lost, especially on local trains, due to
train and enginemen not taking ad-
vantage of conditions in order to gain
time doing work, switching and un-
loading and loading freight. Neither
must you wait until train stops to get
men in position. It is also Of the
utmost importance that enginemen be
alive, prompt. to take signals, and
make quick moves. In this respect it
is only necessary to call your attention
to the old adage, which is truer one,
that, when train or enginemen do not
make good on local trains, it thorough
ly demonstrates those men are detri-
mental to the service as we'll as their
own personal interests, and such men,
instead of being assigned to other
runs, should be dispensed with. am
calling your attention to these matters
with view of invigorating energy and
ambition, in order that your families
who are dependent on you to make a
success shall not some day point the
finger of scorn at you, and that the
public may not be able to say you lost
your position due to lack Of energy
and interest in your own personal
welfare, for which you can consistent
ly place the responsibility on no one
but YOURSELF
Compare the bulletin with the let
ter, and note the difference. l say to
you now that, if railroad employees
observed the companies rules for
safety the railroads of the United
States would be, within twelve hours,
as hopelessly congested as they pos
sibly could be if a general strike had
been in operation for week.
Death the Price of a Job.
"a system of almost perfect mechan-
ical production has been installed,
and the man must keep pace with it,
So much must be produced per man
per machine per hour, and the man
knows if he falls below the minimum
of production he will lose his job, and
job is job even in this land Of
opportunity. He knows the memorable
rule. The result is that to change a.
gear, shift belt, adjust feed, or
any one Of the thousands of ways that
are offered a man to take a chance
and keep his machine going without
loss Of time, are accepted at the price
of safety, and he pays the price. The
employer pays nothing.
$50 we say advisedly, until some
rules of employment regulate indus
trv until II cnsts more to kill man