The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-30

bill were Representative Joseph Law Ter of Hartford. Representative Jofr | S. Treadwell of Trunbu1I, Representa-, tive Stevens of Danbury, A. Fl Terry 1 chairman Order RAilroad Telegraph CTS; D. H. Douglass, representative O. |. United Commercial Travellers; Senator Quinn of New Haven, and MT. Brigain 1 chairman Grievance committee, O R. c.
 1 One, of the incidents of the hearing
 was an implied attack upon Governor l SuIzer, made by B. I. Spock, repre- sentfng the New Haven Company, who l impugned the Governors good faith and said he had never given reason
 for signing the bill. Chairman Davis l immediately produced a copy Of Gov
 ernor Sulzer's reasons. Representa- l tive Wilson asked that the letter be
 made a part of the record. The com | mittee assented. l Representative Wilson's remarks ir favor of the Full Crew bill were in part as follows:
 MT. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee: The bill which you are assembled to consider is not new one. Itfwas before the General Assembly, last year. It is in essence a bill which has been considered by the legislatures of many states, and which has been adopted into law in. not a few states. The Full
  law in Pennsylvania, and still more recently in New Jersey and in New
 York Governor Sulzer signed the
 bill, despite the condemnation and al- most threatening conduct of the rail- road presidents. who attacked both the governor and the bill with ma licious 'vigor-
 The object of this bill is to pro vide for the safety of the travelling public and to protect the lives of trainmen. Incidentally 1t 1g intended to facilitate the movement of freight and the comfort of passengers on rail- road trains.
 There can be no question about the necessity of more men on the freight trains and the passenger trains op- erated in this state.
 The recent serious wrecks, in were injured speak eloquently to the necessity.
 2. I need not remind you of the wreck of the Federal Express. nor .5of the wreck of the Boston Express at West port, nor of any. of the. other wreck5 which have recently occurred on the Connecticut steam road companies. These wrecks speak horribly for themselves. - =. .s- - = 1s--.. -l
 do call your attention to the cir cumstances. that the -Westports wreck was made. the incident sof- a lcoroner's hearing, after many had been killed, including several women who were burned. to death.
 [ shall file with you a copy of the finding and recommendations of Cor oner~ J. J. PheIan, in which he finds because of sthe insufficient cy of the train crew, and. makes it a part cf his recommendation sthat trains be provided thereafter with enough train men to protect the pas sengers.
 These women were burned to death. | They might have been saved if there l had been experienced men to help | them. There were. none and they died awfulIy.
 Now Isay to you that this railroad ! company, for virtually. there is but one in Connecticut.f knows full we'll | that it's trains ought to have more men on them. It knows it because until very recently more men were kept on those trains. When those men were taken off. 1t was not because ! better way had been found, by req gon of new inventions or labor saving devices.
 It was because certain merger had aken place, which increased the div l. dend demands and the interest de- hands upon the property without in reasing the income in the same de- ,ree. This merger took place in 9O7. And about the same time the ,anic came, and so the railroad man gers attempted to save money, and he easiest way to save 1t, as they bought, was to cut down help, where hey could. So they did. I will not ollow the process of help cutting in etaiI, but will show you how the natter stands by reference to 1908, he year just before the merger and he panic. which shall compare with e12 The first figures are from the eport to the Railroad Commission rs in 19o6 The 1912 figures are ( rom the report to the Public Utilities on mission. in 1912. s& v
 In 1906 trainrnen other than con z uctors employed by the New Haven e onpany were 3,5o6. y
 Tn I 912 the number had decreased ) 3,2o9. 2" n
 That is to say. 2s7 less trainmen 2 ere employed on June 30, 1912, than t ere employed on the same date in | 906, which was six years earlier. @
 But during this long period, from c so6 to 1912, all the work of the road II ad increased. It's locomotives and ars were heavier. Its trains were ,nger. More freight was transport 4