The evening world., 1912-04-05
SOMETHING OF A SIDE.STEP.

A NENT railway accidents and their prevention, Mr.. Darius
: n Miller, president Of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
= Railroad, is sending a circular letter TO the Governors OF
various Western States pointing out That more than half the people
killed on railways in the United States III trespassers. and asking for
legislation to discourage tramps and track walkers.
He quotes statistics Of the Interstate Commerce Commission to
prove that in the last ten years, while one hundred and six persona
have been killed in accidents caused by rail Meakage, an average Of
less than eleven a year, the average number Of persons killed while
Atrespassing on railway property has been during the same period over
fourteen per day.
"a He complains that while the fact has been widely published tina.
in the year ending June 80, 1911, 1886 people were killed on the
railways Of the United States, few persons realize that of that num-
Der 1884, or 81 per cent, belonged TO the trespasser class-people
walking on tracks II stealing rides.
The real milk in the cocoanut, however. lie the following:
- "Three measures have been introduced in Congress to require
=. the railways to install block signals, to substitute steel for wooden
passenger train cars and to widen their clearances. 1t is estimated
that compliance with this proposed legislation would cost the roads
y a. 1861 900 900. II it is worth while for the rail.
ways to spend millions of ddlars for block signals to stop COLI.
sions is it not worth while for the governments
3 to take some action to stop the evil Of trespassing, which costs an
average of over five thousand lives ycsrly?'
Undoubtedly any laws that will force reckless people to keep
~ out Of danger from railway trains are worth trying. Few persons
would disagree. The general tone of President Millers letter, how
ever, Is curiousy like that Of a building owner who should deliberately
explain why he didn't add more fire escapes by lamentng how many
people insisted on getting killed by falling of his roof.
w It is hard to see how. the number of deaths from trespassing has
: anything to do with the fact That the railroads should be expected
to take ever-increasing pains and precautions to prevent avoidabe
g accidents.
l. Moreover, can one truly say that the attitude and enterprise Of
80 the railroads in this direction in the past has been entirely reassuring:
''Wefe the ol0ck system and the automatic coupler adopted save under
~ strong legislative pressure? Did the railroads take up the airbraie
until they saw it would save brakcmen and therefore cut down ex-
4 pensesa Was electricity introduced into the New York Central
q tunnel until legislation compelled its
At the present moment the Interstate Commerce Commission "a
Asconsdering a device designed to show engineers on moving trains the
dangers ahead. Has any railroad Of its own initiative taken ND such
an improvement? Our steel rails have recently been admitted to be
inferior to those in Germany and England. Why? Yet. when forced
sto it, the railroads adopt one by one all these devices of supposedly
= ruinous cost and still manage to avoid bankruptcy.
e. Legislatc trmps of the tracks by all mcans!. But also lcyiJatc
sound rails and safe travel on the tracks il they can he had only BY
that means!
That people commit suicide by jumping of ferry boats /. no
~ excuse for letting the life prcservers rot.
~