Bisbee daily review., 1913-12-19
IS HOUR LAW
 ON RAILROADS
Analysis of Interstate Com merce Commission Reports on Subject are Productive of Figures of Wide Interest

WASHINGTON, Dee. 1S.-Viola-
 tions of the law limiting the service of train employees on american rail
 roads to sixteen consecutive hours
 go tO the very heart of the efficiency and safety of train operation" said Commissioner Charles c. McChord, commenting upon a statement issued today by the Interstate Commerce
 Commission analyztng the monthly
 reports of interstate railroads on
 hours Of service during the fiscal year ending June 30. 1913.
 Nearly 100000 violations of the 16- hour law were reported by 2G9 raj. roads during the year, the roads sum hitting various reasons why such violations were necessary. The com missions analysis points out. how
 ever. that it must be remembered that 251 III men were employed in hand ing trains during theyear and
 that the excess service probably
 would not exceed one instance to each employe.
 '@The difference in efficiency and safety Of operation between various railroad systems" MT. McChord said, lis shown clearly by the Commis- sion's analysis in the marked dispar- ity between the ratio of excess ser vice to mileage between railroads serving practically the same territory. Pr instance, one of the Eastern roads, operating more than 5,S0e miles of tracks. reports 5,22 instances in which trainmen were on duty for periods longer than those provided by law: while another road in the same with a mileage of less than $500 miles, reports 22,e63 such in- stances
 "A comparison of the figures sub mitted by two other of the principal eastern lines shows. respectively, a of 2.25S. with 5,451 instances , of excess service as compared with 2, ,s29 miles and l6,44s instances. In | the prairie country, one road with of ,755. reports approximate ly h70J instances of excess service, ] while another line. similarly situated, 1 geographically, reports only 2s0 in- ! stances on a mileage Of more than !. z, 7,JO4 miles. A corresponding com paTiscn between two roads in the section of the country . shows a mileage of approximareiy | 5 600 miles with less than SUU iG. ] stances of excess service, while an- other road. with less than 10000 miles of line, reports nearly coco in- stances of excess service"
 Commissioner McChord, within whose supervision comes the actual of the Hours of Ser vice Act, directed the preparation of the analysis.
 The law provides a maximum of sixteen hours as the limit of contin- uance service for trainmen engaged in the physical operation of trains. This law admittedly is being vi-la.ed continually by the Failroads-many times unavoidably. The carriers are reulred to report each instance in which an employe served more than sixteen hours consecutiyely, a fine of $500 being the penalty for failure 10 report.
 The analysis shows that derailments afforded the most prolific cause of ex- cess service, ss.317 cases being at tributed by the carriers to that gen eric cause. In 33,36O instances, the delays were due to coupler and drawbar defects while 17,753 cases were attributable to miscellaneous car defects. Lsndslides, high water and fire wero reported by the carriers ;n- voived. as responsible for l7.95 cases; and congestion of traffic re- suited in 13.s12 Instances the excess service was caused by track de- fects and Instructions not resulting in collisions or derailments; while s.s10 cases were due primarily to col lisions.
 Under the heading of Engine De- lays" 15,507 instances of excess err vice were reported as attributable to
 miscellaneous mechanical defects. while other engine delays usually in c.dent to the operation of trains. were
 res9l1nsfble for nearly 10000 addi- tionaI cases.
 ''As a result Of the prosecutions in-