Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-10


working agreement with this rail-
road. attention is called to the rules
laid down in that agreement:
Rules and Amendments.
"Rule 1 of article 8: Spare engi-
neers shall be run first in and first
cut, so far as 1t is possible with the
requirements of the service and when
engineers are assigned to temporary
vacancies they shall remain on same,
provided they are competent, until
the regular engineer returns, They
shall receive rates of regular engi-
neers while on the road.
"Rue /, as amended, exception c.:
No engineer who has less than one
years roster rating as an engineer
senger trains.
This rule has two plain and def
mite EXCEPTIONS:
"'Q)-So far as it is possible with
the requirements of the service, and
(2) provided they are competent
Primarily the determination of ID
the requirements of the service and
(2) competency of engineers is for
the management of the railroad. The
most important requirement of the
service is the safety requirement
I'm this case 1t is shown that no
reliable or effective system was in
opera ton for the determination of the
safety requirements of the service in
the selection of an engineman for a
particular service or for the deter
mination of the competency of an en-
gineman when he was first given a
high-speed passenger train.
THE neglect of precautions for
safety was here a neglect upon points
which the enginemen's agreement left
open to the management.
Can't Evade Responsibility.
Gwen though Dougherty's work in
other grades of service was satisfac-
tory, the absence of any supervision
or tests for a work in which his
failure was so complete and disas-
trous cannot be evaded by the off
Gals Of this railroad. The safety OF
the public requires that these off,
cials shall take all reasonable pre-
cautions by test and supervision to
know that such men have the posi-
tive qualifications of good Judgment
and knowledge OF their duty.
"Other railroads have rules pro-
viding safeguards In this respect as
was shown by the testimony of the
railroad experts. The general man
ayers said that the judgment OF the
engineman was bad. Enthusiastically
hi 10 Unr
sion of Dougherty's handling of this
train, he said: 81 cannot conceive
of any man in his right mind doing
thing of that kind He then
stated in general terms his belief
that the trouble arose from the en-
ployees' organizations and the atti-
tude of the public. and said that 1t
is true of the New England railroads
today: they have not much left, but
their corporate identity
EMO organization but that of the
New York. New Haven and Hartford
Railroad Company is responsible for
placing a sman in charge of this To-
connective without tests or supervision
by travelling engineers of his quail
fications and Judgment for this spe-
cial work. The determination OF the
ability. fitness or qualifications of an
engineman is the duty of the rail-
road itself.
When Man Is to BE Blamed.
THE responsibility for having a
competent man with positive qualifi-
cations at post of duty is cor
porate responsibility. The fault for
placing an INFESTED man in position
fraught with danger to life is the
fault of the company and it's OFF,
Gals. Man failure can only excuse
the railroad and its officials where the
man has been properly tested and
found to possess the positive qualifi-
cations required, No automatic work.
ing of names from a list of men who
may or may not have the requisite
qualifications can excuse from the
duty of making reasonable effort to
ascertain that the man selected is
qualified.
ut seems hard to realize that nc
particular tests were applied to such
a situation on this railroad and that
there was no supervision by travelling
engineers Ter an engineman called