The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-30
Especial to The Farmer.o

| NoPSCIdl CO 1ne dTI16IJ
 Hartford. April 30-Since= 1906 ths New Haven Railroad Company has re-
 duced the number of trainmen employ. ed by it by 2e7, although its business has increased about one-third. Since 1906 the number of section hands have been reduced by almost 2,0O0. But | during the same. period the number o1 l accidents to trainmen, to passengers I and to the general public has increas- | ed by several hundred per cent
 From these facts Representative Will | son of Bridgeport asked the Railroad committee to infer that there is a1 con | nection between diminished help on the railroad and increased danger to | railroad employees and the public
 The facts were adduced in connec- ! ton with the Full Crew bill, which had been introduced by Representative Wilson. The bill virtually asks that one trainman be put on each train. The bill was supported by represen- tatjves of the several railroad brother hoods, conductors, trainmen and tele- graphers and by the commercial trav- elers of Connecticut.
 The tFainmen were represented by their Legislative committee. headed by
 Harrison Davis of this city, and one Of the most telling arguments in fa- vor of the bill was made by John L..
 Rowe of Bridgeport, chairman of the grievance committee of the Brother
 hood of Railroad Trainmen-
 Many strong facts were brought out
 in the direction of showing the under
 ma med condition of the trains run
 ming through Connecticut. In this
 connection the statement of Hon. John
 J. Phelan, coroner for Fairfield coun-
 ty, was heard with -breathless interest
 MT Phelan described the death Of the
 women who were destroyed by fire in
 the Westport wreck reading from the
 testimony taken before him as coroner. Tears filled the eyes of everybody be-
 fore the recital was concluded.
 Coroner Phelan said he is convinced the condition of undermanning on
 this train was common to other pas -senger trains. He said: "I regard the bill before you as too modest It
 does not provide men enough to look out for the comfort and safety Of the passengers" He thought that three
 more men to each train would not be
 more than enough. In case of sud- den disaster there ought to be a dis cipIine nucleus to give quick aid and to rally any volunteers who might de- sire to assist in the work of rescue. At the Westport wreck the conductor had gone one way, the two tralnmen another way, and there was nobody left to aid the frnperi1led. He said that in his opinion some. of those Kill ed at Westport would have. been saved had there been trainmen dIscfpi1ned Tn their duties to help.
 Other evidence was addueed to prove that the coroner for Mfdd1esex county had investigated a wreck resulting In loss of life in that county, and had made a finding that the train was un- d dernanned.
 During the testimony of MT. Rowe it appeared that Massachusetts has recently required more men on trains, and that New York has a full crew bill more drastic than that proposed to the committee
 Questioned by MT. Wilson, MT Rowe said that the situation now IS that both trainnen and passengers enjoy | higher degree of protection in Massa- ch11setts than they do in Connecticut | There are more trainmen on the trains | I, Massa chusetts This protection en- lures un to the Connecticut line. All across Connecticut the trains run with 3,It adeouate crews, and entering New York are compelled to take on ade- auate crews. The New Haven Iur- 1ishes one degree of protection in two r States and another and inferior de- gree in Connecticut.
 Interesting and detailed testimony vas given by B. H. Douglass, the Yankee Drummer, who favored the ,iII showing the dangers, annoyances md difficulties to which members of lis occupation are subjected on trains n Connecticut There are not men enough to open the gates. Sometimes he work of opening them begins e1ght niles back of the station, and the openings are unprotected At this point a clipping was read showing how
 Connecticut woman was injured at Cast Thompsonville by stepping trough a gate, at the end of car: There are not men enough to ade- uateIy call the stations.
 Mr Douglass told of mysterious ef- orts that were. made to prevent his on the matter of rail- oad crews being received by the ewspapers. He told how he was de- rived of a position because of his emand for more protection for the public. He received a, let CT from his employer saying that his ( ttacks on the New Haven road must ease. He got another job and con t lnled his efforts for a better state of hings.
 The case for the trainnlen was pre- ' ented by Harrison Davis of this city, 1 airrnan of the legislative committee ,ho called a number of expert wit esses and brought from them many + acts of value. c
 Among those who appeared for the IL