The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-26
j. ID. M. Hamilton Before Inter-
national Safety Congress.
Santa Fe Claims Attorney Of
fers Valuable Suggestions.
FOR PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
In Future Rail Employees
Should Be Fitted in Body.
Education Also an Important
Asset to Competency.

Take care of the employee. That g
the leading principle behind the rail
way safety habit campaign, accor.l-
ing to J. D. NJ. Hamilton, claims at
torney of the Santa Fe with headqusr-
tiers in Topeka. In a speech this
morning before the international Con-
gress of Prevention of Accidents in
session at Washington, D. c., Mr..
Hamilton points out many new meth
DDS of building the foundation for in
creased safety in railroad operation.
Among other valuable suggestions Mr.
Hamilton believes in physical exanli'
nation. Extracts from his speech fol-
low:
CarefuIness is a prevention of &C
cidents and the prevention of accidents
is the protection of the employees ana
the people as well as the treasury of
the corporation and commands re-
spect upon the part of the public IN
handling of trains, machinery, etc.
We are told we are living in a pre-
gressive age, politically, religiousy.
morally and every other way and there
is no reason why the railways ana our
government should not join in auv
moVem ent that will procure safety 70
passengers, employees and the car
riage of freight. Organization is one
of the strongest and most faVofao ole
adjuncts in the furthering of any en-
terprise and comes through the ma
any business undertaking and mus
necessarily creep into the manage
ment of our great railway systems:
The great catastrophes happening
upon our railroads today indicate care
lessness and are resulting in the de-
struction of lives, injuries to persons
and damage to property that might
.ust as we'll De avoided. You can 10 TX
over the calendar of the Interstate
commerce commission and in study
ing it you will find that 90 per cent;
or 70 per cent. of accidents repcrte1
to that body by railway authorizes
occurred through carelessness OF inc
men themselves or those working with
them
Employ Competent Men.
This being a fact I feel it is IN
cumbent upon the operating as well
as the mechanical department that eN-
ery railway should see that competent
men are employed to do TINS WORK.
examination as to physical fitness OF
men who are to operate trains OF
propeI machinery or do other Woik
of the business of these great Trans
portation enterprises, until 1t can De
tr1IthfulIv asserted that there is no
branch of industry where labor is en-
ploved which calls forth or demands
greater exercise of care or Where tHe
public ought to exact so thoroush d
cor,onetency as that of the railway ID
borer. ,,-
of the railway systems OF TINS IaLu
calls into service two million Oh tle
bone and sinew of industrial labor Tor
+ha rand handling of mail, express,
and freight and there IS
none so closely allied to the govern
ment and public as the railway en-
nlovee and as such, he must possess
knowledge of his efficiency in doing the
Ia bor to which he may be assigned II
NJ 70 safety
the enpIoyee and the public that men
he employed who are strong mentally
and physically; who possess knoWledge
of the kind and character of the LABOR
required which is necessary to thelr
own welfare in the preservation or hVes
and limbs not only to themselves put
to their fellows and which must give
comfort and happiness to their taml-
lies.
Physical Examination for AL
IT is not my purpose to here present
calculations and tables OF
statistics but it can be conservat1Vely
estimated that % per cent of all the
ennlovees of our government are in
engine train and switch service and II
becomes or ought to become, neces-
sary to submit them to a rigid physl-
cal examination not only before enter
ing the service but at stated Intervals
during the time they are so employed.
We are told that the soldiers and
sailors who are the protectors ana
defenders of our country, are submit
ted to a thorough examination as 10
their physical fitness. If such precau-
lions can be demanded by the govern
ment for the protection of its citizens
and their property, why cannot our
railways establish the same course,
thereby securing a higher grade of men
for such employment, as it is just as
important to protect the lives and
bodies of the employee and public as
it is to protect the people of the gov
Prophecy by Mr.. Hamilton.
I hereby prophesy that it will not be
manv years until every man in charge
of a throttle of an engine or the one
who puts fuel into the f1rebox, as well
as those who collect tickets and the
brakemen will be licensed employees
and secure such license from the gov
eminent before he will be allowed to
take a train out of the station. AND
what brings such things about? 1t IS
the Iaxity of many of our railway man.
agements. 1t is arousing the people to
such an extent that they are demand
ing a greater safety upon our railway
lines. The cry is coming from millions
of threats, not only from the laboring
man but from all, to give greater
protection in the operation of machine