Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-03-19
PROTEST AGAINST
EXTRA CREW BILL
Pennsylvania Railroad PreSi-
dent Sends Letter to New
York Governor
NEW YORK. March 1a. 1a1,


AS protest against the enactment
into law OF the Extra Crew Bill pend
ing in New York State, President
Samuel Rea OF the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company has addressed the fol-
lowing letter to Governor William
Sulzer OF New York:
Philadelphia, Pa. March 10th, 1918.
Hon William Sulzer, Governor Of
New York. Albany, n. Y.
my dear sir:
will you permit me to urge upon
your notice the serious objections,
from a public standpoint, to the Tx
ira Grew Bill which has been passed
by the Assembly and fayorably re-
ported to the Senate of New York?
This measure lays down an ar
bitrary rule that trains shall be man
ned by a specified number of men,
regardless of the necessities in each
case. There must be the same num-
Der OF men on a passenger train, for
example, whether II is a continuous
run of 100 miles or a run involving
stops at every way station. A fast
freight, involving but little work for
the crew, must have just as many
men as local freight. with constant
switching and continual work for the
men, the whole regulated solely by
the number Of cars in the train.
Such rule adds an extra and IN
necessary brakeman, arbitrarily. to a
large number of trains. II he con-
tributes TO the safety Of passengers
or other train employees, by all means
put him on the train.
But no additional security is OBJ
tanned. Advocates of similar legisla-
ton have been repeatedly and sue
lcessfully challenged to name any SER
ious accident resulting from insuffici-
ent train crews
Bills similar to that now pending
in New York were vetoed by Gov
errors Hughes and Dix and also by
I Governor Foss of Massachusetts and
Governor Harmon Of Ohio. on the
very proper ground that the various
public service commissions should
deal with all such questions after full
hearings and with reference to the
peculiar conditions surrounding each
case. Such peculiarities include the
number OF stops train makes. sea-
sOnable alterations in operating con-
ditions, differences between through
and local services, both passenger and
[ freight, amount of switching required,
{ and conditions under which Il is per-
/ formed, and variations in grades over
which trains run. All such factors
are legitimate determinants of the
size of a crew. The decision in such
cases should be left to the railroad
manager, unless there is an made
quate or improper practice, in which
case public service commissions
should have power, after hearings, to
J prescribe the practice TO be followed.
4 AS a matter OF fact there are runs
4 on our own road calling for even
more men than are stipulated in the
unvarying rule Of this bill. In other
cases, a smaller number Of men is
quite sufficient.
"1f then there is no additional
safety and no increased efficiency II
a supernuous crew. and n the pub
lic interests are adequately safeguard
ed through the Public Service Com
mission, why place upon the railroad.
and ultimately upon the public-tht
burden OF a heavy and fruitless ex-
penditure?
How will the unnecessary extra
employees advantage the men already
working for our company. especially
our lines i'm New York State which
do not now fully earn their fixed
charges. let alone any dividends, OF
how will this unnecessary expense
help these lines to provide the high
character OF service required by the
public?
Our records show that the Penn