The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-17

mileage of 2,25s. with 5,451 instances
Of Excess service as compared with
1888 miles and 16,44s instances, In
the prairie country, n road with a
mileage Of 4,755. reports approximate
ly 20, 600 instances OF EXCESS service,
| while another road in the same terri
tory, swith more than $500 miles Of
tracks, reports only 2,310 instances of
excess service.
I'm the southwestern territory, one
road. operating less than 6,400 miles
Of track. reports approximately LOO
instances Of excess service. while n
other line, similarly situated, geo
graphically, reports only $50 instances
on a mileage Of more than 1904 miles.
A corresponding comparison between
two roads in the northwestern section
Of the country shows a mileage Of ap-
proximately 5000 miles with less than
500 instances of excess service, while
another road, with less than 10. 600
miles Of line, reports nearly 5000 in
stances of excess service"
Commissioner McChord, within
whose supervision ONE the actual
administration of the hours of service
act, directed the preparation OF the
analysis.
The law provides q maximum OF
sixteen hours as the limit of continu-
ance service for trainmen engaged in
the physical operation of trains. This
law admittedly is being violated con
tinually BY the railroadS-many times
u~navoidably. The carriers are requir-
ed to report each instance in which
an employee served more than sixteen
hours c~onsecutively, a fine Of $500 be-
ing the penalty for failure to report.
The analysis shows that deratlments
afford the most prolific cause Of excess
service, 8S,317 cases being attributed
by the carriers to that generic cause.
In 1850 instances, the delays were
due to coupler and drawbar defects,
while 17,753 cases were attributable
to miscellaneous car defects. Land
slides, high water and fire were re-
ported by the carriers involved, as
responsible for 1885 cases; and con-
| gestion Of traffic resulted in 1882
employees exceeding the limit Of serv-
ice. In 10.62O instances the excess
service was caused by track defects
and distractions not resulting in COL
lisions or derailments; while 1910
cases were due primarily to collisions.
Under the heading Of Engine De-
lays" 15,507 instances of excess serv-
ice were reported as attributable, to
miscellaneous mechanical defects,
while other engine delays usually
were responsible for nearly 10000 adj
ditional cases.
"As a result Of the prosecutions
instituted by the commission" the
analysis points out, the number Of
instances Of excess service reported
during the last six months, as COM
pared with the corresponding figures
for preceding years. has shown a
marked reduction"
| McChord, "that the carriers involved
will 0nnnnHn tn tho conn missions
analysis of their reports such a degree
of attention as will enable them, by
appraising themselves of the prevent
able causes of excess service, to
eliminate the majority Of instances in
which employees heretofore have been
PERMITTED or required to remain on
duty for longer periods than sixteen
consecutive hours"
Under the head of Employees in
Train Service, the analysis shows an
aggregate Of 878 instances in which
employees returned to duty after six
teen hours continuous service without
having had at least ten consecutive
hours off duty, while 274 Of such en-
ployes were returned to duty after
sixteen hours Of continuous service
without having had eight. consecutive
hours off duty. .. -. q
The law requires that telegraph OPP
orators employed by railroads in train
operations, shall not be on duty in
excess of nine consecutive hours. The
total number Of violations of this law
as shown by the analysis, was 26,5SS,
while it is noted that in 4,544 instanc-
eS telegraph operators in offices oper-
ated only in day time were on duty
for longer periods than thirteen hours.
The total number of cases Of excess
service Of all classes reported by the
railroads for the fiscal year was $780,
953. The report says it is not to be
assumed this number comprehends
all the instances in which employees OF
railroads were on duty during the
year in excess of the statutory periods
7 the lay mind that contemplates
the economic aspect of an industrial
situation in which during a. single
year nearly 800, 900 men should have
been responsible for the operation OF
trains for periods in excess of those
prescribed by law" says the report
these figures may appear abnormal;
but when c~ogniZance is taken of the
fact that 251,111 men were employed
in train service alone during the year,
in addition to the vast number Of tele-
graphers; and of the number of trains
operated in order to provide employ
ment for SO many men, one aImost
marvels that the volume Of traffic
could have been transported with such
a small proportion of excess service"
On July i, 1913. in various judicial
districts of the United States, 216 cas-
es involving an aggregate Of 2,471
separate violations of the hours OF
| serVico act vera DnndiDpr while 0Ss