Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-09-30
The Nev Haven Wreck Report

The interstate commerce commissions report or
the New Haven wheck scathingly denounces the fail
ure both the operatives of the road to observe the
rules and the officials of the corporation to insure
their enforcement and to adopt sufficiently protective
measures Will this report bring results? The COM
mission in its conclusions this wreck calls atten-
ton to the fact that has heretofore found derec
tons in railroad management in matters affecting
the public safety but that it has power to enforce
the regulations which it has made and which It would
wish to applied to the interstate traffic to the eno
of establishing higher standard OF security, congress
having failed egslate adequately upon this SUBJECT
Specific propositions bearing the matter OF railroad
safety are promised in the forthcoming annual report
Of the commission, which congress will have before 1t
next winter.
Meanwhile, numerous bills have been introduced
in both houses of congress the subject of railroad
safety, some of them referring to the use OF steel
cars others relating to the hours of employees, still
others to signals and automatic stops. All OF them
have something of merit in them. Taken togetner'
they probably the entire field thoroughly ana
while some of the suggested measures are possibly
impractcable they afford material for compreheh'
sve enactment giving the public the utmost degree
of security travel 1t is obviously to be the task
of the house and senate next winter to coate these
various measures in the light Of the careful recon-
mendations of the commission, to evolve the most
The responsibility of directors of the railroad cor
poraons for the proper operation of the lines forms
a considerable part of the commissions present re-
mort That having formally ordered the executive or
the road to do certain things not speched nut gen.
eralv directed toward the safeguarding OF the puDic
they ceased all activity and virtually abandoned au
thorty is distinctly charged against the New haven
directors in this particular instance by the commas
sion, placing upon the individuals who comprise the
board a heavy charge accountability for the disaster
in immediate review. 1t is impossible to aVold the
conclusion in effect says the commission that these
men are today responsible morally for the death of a
score of persons. The formal passing of motion
and the REIMBURSEMENT thenceforth Of all RESPONSE
bility to the executive head of the railroad did not
sufficiently meet the requirements of their position
Having been aware that the railroad was suffering
from repeated socaed accidents, through failure
and system failure and having formally directed the
president of the road to install all possible safey
devices and to adopt and enforce all possible pre-
cautonary rules to prevent recurren catastrophes
rested with the directors to that these measures
of reform were actually adopted. Their trust IN the
roads executive and his assistants was not enough
to relieve them CT the responsibility which morally
if not legally rests today upon them for the sacrifice
of life at New Haven the other dady. Nothing can
well be done about it, short Of direct court procedure
against the individual directors, which will probably
not be attempted Far better will be some form OF
legislation enabling the interstate commerce commits
sion to make rules and to enforce them. 2g43
Senator stone is said to be the point Of visiting
Missouri to 'look after his fences. casual IN
spection convnces that they still horse high
but we are less certain Of their being hog tight.
Fears that the income tax may surplus
hats or al
tonal employees of the commissioner OF internal rev.
enue will be provided to collect this tax The party
in power may be depended upon to wipe out surplus
as fast as it accumulates