Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-06
HOUSE PURIFIERS
RAILROAD SAFETY
Votes $25,O 900 for Tests and
investigation Of Ap-
planes.
REGULAR ORGANIZATION
BOWLED OVER IN FIGHT
Fitzgerald Makes Violent But Un-
availing Protest-Adamson
Discusses Wrecks.

In the face Of violent protest from
Chairman Fitzgerald of the appropriations
committee, the regular organization of
the House was bowled over this after
noon and the amendment of Representa-
tive Mann of Illinois providing for $4,000
to allow the interstate commerce commits
sion to make tests and investigations OF
safety appliances for railroads was adopt
ed. Representative Fitzgerald, who has
charge of the urgency deficiency bill,
which was under debate In committee of
the whole, did his best to prevent the
passage of this paragraph on the ground
that the interstate commerce commission
could not use the money this Year.
Speeches on the subject Of safety APP
pliances and railroad wrecks took up an
hour and half of the time Of the House.
and in this manner the consideration of
the So, 900 for various District of Co
lumbia items was delayed again.
Immediately upon the passage of the
of Massachusetts, presented a resolution
to prevent any part Of the $4,000 from
being used for the payment of press
agent, and the matter was being de-
bated when The Stars report closed.
In speaking of the general subject of
safety devices on railroads, following the
presentation of the amendment, Repre-
sentative Adamson Of Georgia, chairman
of the committee on interstate and for
eign commerce spoke his mind on the
subject OF railroad wrecks.
Urges an Investigation.
Mr. Adamson said:
Now. the authority exists for these
investigations about safety appliances of
which we woefully stand in need. 1t
ought to be done. We are willing to
provide for saving life and property. but
information is often short. Human falli-
bility in operating the trains. | think, is
more to blame, perhaps, than the steel
and the iron and the crossties and the
much mathematical on many grounds,
including watered stock and other ques-
tons. We want to know what to do.
For many years we have co-operated
with the interstate commerce commission
as to steel cars, headlights and other
safety appliances.
I'VE have referred bills to the COM
mission and had them before US on
hearinga We have considered the
state Of the market. the output of the
steel trust. the rapidity with which
steel cars could be substituted for
wooden cars. We do not want to do
anything rash or drastic. We want
to protect the public. We think trains
to have strong and indestructible cars
We think on trains where both steel
cars and wooden ones are used they
ought to be placed in separate parts
of the train and not mingled together.
Claim Of the Railways.
The railroads have all the time pro-
fessed to US that they were substitute
ing steel cars for wooden cars as
to confiscate and throw away their
entire rolling stock.
They wanted to utilize 1t as long as
the could and gradually substitute the
foundation for their statement. We are
Informed that at the present time there
are very few wooden cars being con-
structed and turned out OF the shops.
All new cars are of steel or have steel
frames. We are informed that on al
most all the railroads running out Of
Washington solid steel trains are oper-
ated. It appears that the railroad
monopoly in New England is an excep-
ton to this statement. and that they
had not substituted steel cars as rapid
ly as the other roads: but II they are
only waiting to dispose Of their wooden
cars before doing so, 1t will not be
long before 1t happens. because l un-
derstand they are now disposing OF
their wooden cars at very rapid rates.
as the very frequent wrecks have been
acting as instruments Of retirement"
Probable Basis Of Legislation.
He continued: I'VE do not promise
now that our investigations will result
in legislation. They may result in dem
onstrating no need for legislation. We
have already INDUCED IN much legisla-
ton on those subjects. People have got
ten into a habit-more like a disease.
which. having started. has spread like a
contagion-that impels them to look to
Congress for new legislation every time
anything happens, whether that legisla-
ton be appropriate or pertinent to the
subject or not. Many inquiries have come
to us this week to know II we were
going to investigate and legislate about
the most recent New Haven wreck, when
ample authority was conferred upon the
interstate commerce commission many
years ago to do that work, instead OF
leaving 1t to Congress. What we need
Is more enforcement Of law and more
litigation instead OF 50 much legislation.
Law cannot enforce itself 1t Is a dead
letter unless human nature is willing to
enforce II. Whatever we find necessary
to perfect the legislation to protect life
and property in transit and uphold the
hands of the commission In securing just
and reasonable rates and practices we
shall be found trying to do. and we will
thank our colleagues for their assist
ance"