East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-07-02
OREGON WASHINGTON RAIL
ROAD x NAVIGATION COMPANY
Enlarges the Scope OF Its Safety
Campaign.

Enlarges the Scope of Its Safety
Campaign.
1t is already well known fact that
the Hartman lines; during the last
few years, have made great progress
in reducing train accidents, and the
loss of life and personal injuries at
tendant thereon. In fact, they were
practically pioneers in this respect
That their efforts have borne satisfac-
tory fruit is well evidenced by the
remarkable figures, published some
time ago, showing that in the year
1910 they carried 49.491,0O0 passen-
gers, without sacrificing single life.
This record embraced all the Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific lines
and affiliated roads, aggregating H.
$50 miles of railroad. The total
number of passengers carried one
mile during the period named was
three billion. This astonishing re-
suit was mainly due 10 the installa-
ton of automatic block signals; the
application to locomotives and cars or
the latest and most modern safety ap-
pliances: the system of surprise tests
in vogue to determine the efficiency
of train men and engine men In the
observation of danger signals and
severe discipline administered for
failure 10 properly observe such sig
nails; also. the board of inquiry sys-
tenn. under which plan the officers OF
the company, working hand in hand
with pubic-spirited citizens, invited
to sit on such boards, investigate ac-
cidents and impartially determine the
cause and responsibility therefor, and
the full publicity gwen findings of
such boards, all Of which have been
recited in detail in the press from
time to time in the past.
1t is now proposed to extend the
scope of the campaign for safety to
cover every activity of the railroad
service. there being many accidents,
other than in train service, which re-
suit in death or injuries to passen-
gers and employees, such as occur In
shops, roundhouses, offices, stations
and repair yards. This campaign
contemplates the appointment of a
general safety committee, composed
of general officers of the system
representing the transportation, me-
chanical, roadway, claim and other
! departments. This committee VIII
meet monthly to consider reports,
ssuggestions, recommendations, ETC.,
for the prevention OF accidents. In
! addition to the general committee,
there will be committees on each op-
| Grating division, composed of the SUI
perintendent and his assistants. Each
divisional committee will also have
| in it's membership representative en-
| ployes from every rank of the SER
vice, including conductors, engineers
! firemen, brakemen, agents, trackmen
| switchmen, carmen and shopmen
These employees will be encouraged
to freely express their opinions, anc
those of their fellow workman, re-
garding anything they have observed
which would have tendency tC
cause accidents and to suggest what'
ever they think would be safeguard
This plan Is based on the theory tha
it is the employees themselves, and no
the stockholders, officers or foremen
who are paying the fearful toll o.
death and injury; that it is the mer
and their families who will derive the
greatest benefit from the prevention
Of accidents; that accidents are no
inevitable, as past records would leat
one to believe, but that a large per
centage of them can be avoided; alst
that, in many cases, it actually re-
quires less time and energy to pre-