El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-27

Editorial in New York Commercial.
June %;
~ HE New York. New Haven &
Hartford railroad has been very
unfortunate in the number Of
accidents to passenger trains on it's
lines within the last two years. The
newspapers and the public have de-
manded greater care ana better disci-
pline. Indignation reached the boil
ing point when the terrible disaster
at Stamford. Conn, was added to the
Est last week. Investigations by the
coroner and the interstate commerce
commission have thrown new light on
the causes Of railroad wrecks that
should open the eyes of the people of
this country even il II does not still
the tongues of demagOgs-
Labor unions. including the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. are
primarily responsible They have been
able to force the railroads to give
important and dangerous assignments
to green men Because his name
happened to stand that day at the head
of the waiting list, young DOherty was
given the most hazardous duty a loco
motive driver Is ever called upon to
perform, namely. to drive the second
section of a fast express. He had prac-
ucally no experience in the passenger
service For one short year he had
nanC led light switching and local
freight engines. lie did not understand
the mechanism of the giant express
engines. The one he drove on that
fatal day was of q new type on which
IL appears he had not even worked
as a fireman. He had reported having
trouble with the air brakes OF this
particular engine He did not know
that he should not have tried to reverse
an engine of this type after setting
n
competent through youth and lack OF
experience.
Yet the rule Of the labor union com
PEELED the railroads engine dispatcher
to send him out on this trip because
his name stood at the head of the
list and his brief record Of service was
clean The railroad could not choose.
It had TO obey the union. The union
does not permit the railroad to assign
men to the tasks they are best fitted
to perform. Yet temperament counts
for almost as much as skill and eN-
perieuCe where lives are at stake.
Given the right temperament, expert
enCe eudOWs q locomotive driver with
instinct to do the right thing almost
without thinking In an emergency
he may have no time to think whether
he should throw on the emergency
brake or reverse his engine. He must
do il instiuctively- The personal
equation is the great thine. yet the
labor union SAYS IT must be dis-egardec
if the man is Of good character and
pays his dues
Public opinion must prevail I'm the
end. The public would not submit to
law that gave surgeons the right
-~-u operations in turn. so that
the beginner would have as much work
rs the most experienced practitioner.
Yet the unions are compelling the
travelling public to risk life and limo
at the hands of the man at head of
waiting list This Stamford wreck I
appears to have been caused by union I
rules
In justice to young DOherty. the un-
fortunate engineer. il must be said that 4
he did his best He readily assumed |
responsibility which was wrongly 1
thrust upon him. The man who 4
shirls responsibility never amounts TO I
much. Readiness TO assume fl gives 4
the world NauOleOnS its Bismarks ana :
and its AIOrgans. The blame rests on I
the shoulders. in this case on the I
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers. I