El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-30
RAIL WAYS USE
THE REFERENDUM
Continued from page j.

trains, the railroads contend, is an
act to create a monopoly as one con-
Germ controls all high power electric
headlights. They hold, too, that IL
has been demonstrated that electric
headlights are dangerous on double
track and that at any rate inventions
are being made so thick and fast that
the railroads should be left free 10
adopt the most feasible and practical
of the many ideas being put forth al
most daily.
Many Would Lose Jobs.
The act requiring all engineers and
conductors to have three years eN-
perience before being eligible TO hold
such positions is denounced as class
legislation in that it forces every man
who now holds a position as an en-
gineer or conductor, if he did not have
three years experience as a fireman,
or a brakeman, to give up his Joo: TX
perence won't make brains some
men might be firemen, or brakemen,
for years and still be unfit for pro-
motion, and others, after one years
experience would be perfectly compe-
tent to handle a train, the railroads
argue.
The act limiting the number Of cars
in a train is regarded as an infringe
ment of the right. OF the companies
to operate their roads to the best
advantage to themselves and to the
shippers The railroads hold that
they should be permitted to haul
every car that the locomotives ca1
pull and to use the most powerful en-
gines procurable in order to get over
the road to destination the greatest
amount of traffic possible IN the
shortest possible time Service they
say is what is wanted and service, so
long as it is safe, should not be ham
pered by law.
semimOnthIy Paydnys.
The reasons advanced for the oe-
feat of the semimOnthly payday for
all railway employees is gen
say extremely silly and may have
the effect to cause the voters to dis
regard the objections of the railroads
to other and in many cases really
''The passage OF the semimonthIy
payday" say the railroads. will put
a burden on the state by increasing
poverty, because the temptation to
spend money fOOlishly when one has
il in his pocket is too great Tor the
average man. We are usually broke
the day after payday 1t would be
twice as bad with two paydays- The
WOrkingmen don't want 1t, as shown
by the petition sent to the corpora
ton commission against the law by
the railroad men. This law would
play into the hands of that class of
business that lives by inducing the
working man to spend all he has on
doing business for both the merchants
and the railroads. without benefiting
either. Nor viii if benefit the work
ing man."
The Passenger Fare.
The objection to the bill providing
that the railroads Of the state shall
not charge more than three cents per
mile on passenger trains is generally
believed to be well based. 1t is pointed
out that the population of Arizona
is less than two to the square mile,
and that passenger traffic is so light
that this law will make a drain Of
about $4,000 a year on the railroads.
It will limit their borrowing power
by Just that much, will force them to
curtail present high class service and
will inhibit expansion in the future.
The Southern Pacific took in, last
year, from sources in the state Of Ari-
iona. $501, 474S4, and spent S3,S1S,-
1881. The three cent fare law will
force the restriction Of excursion and
homeseekers' rates, that are doing so
much to bring people into the state.
In proportion to population, the rates IN
Arizona are now lower than any
state in the Union Texas has tried
these restrictive laws with the re-
suit that railroad construction has
about come to a standstill-only u
miles of road built in the first six
months of 1912, and no promise for
the second six months"