Norwich bulletin., 1913-04-30

road men had their afternoon on the full crew bill before the legislative committee on railroads this afternoon and the railroad will reply in opposi- tion to the bill next week. There were present from the railroad companies General Superintendent Woodward, Su- perintendent Bardo of the New York division, Attorney Spock of the New Haven road and officials and lawyers for the Central New England and Yer mont Central roads.
 presented the railroad mems side and nearly three hours was taken up. Among those who spoke was B. H. Douglas of New Haven, who represent ed the men who by the fares they paid and the rates on the goods which they sell "pay the dividends of the rail- roads," He said he represented off, cially the United Commercial Travel CTS who have 518 members in the state.
 Travelling Public Not Protected.
 Mir. Douglas said the travelling pub lie is not getting the protection over the railroads in the state that if ought to have. He said the railroad com mission IT years ago did wrong thing when it allowed q baggagemaster to be claSsed as a, trainman. He said he knew nothing of the freight service, but the statements of Coroner Phil lips, previously made. recalled that coroner of Hartford county had cen Sured the New Haven road for a. freight wreck at East Haven and coroner in MiddIesex county had also criticised the railroad for a wreck in that coun- ty because it did not have men enough on the trains. He urged the com mittee not to count a baggageman as a trainman.
 New London Woman Injured.
 Mir Douglass said he came to the hearing not representing any railroad organization, but representing the travelling men and himself as q citizen. Je JeaaJo rod tI1o+ iT1- f1n nf 6sazrn men enough on them to attend to the passengers. He said that a few days ago a woman in Danbury was injured while alghting unassisted from car and he knew personally a Mrs. Will Hams in New London who was hurt at Saybrook Junction while leaving car in the dark. He said there were not trainmen enough sometimes to call off stations, and recently foreign gentleman who was to speak at Trin- ity college was carried to Merfden be- cause the station was not called. The passengers on the train drew up ton to train from New York to New Haven on which there is only one trainnan.
 Accidents Due to Lack of Trainmen.
 This has six cars and the brakeman has to begin opening platform wells and gates eight miles from New Ha- ven in order to get them all ready by
  asked what would result if this train was in an accident and the only train man had to go back to flag the next train. He said that travelling men were willing to pay more for fare if they could get more men on trains. He said the railroad company frequently puts it over on us'' by stretching mileage, but 1t is afraid to come out in the open and meet this question like man. MT. Douglas told of some of his experiences on the road and of numer ous cases of persons injured, in which such injuries he alleged were due to lack of trainmen to assist passengers. He offered to put in the list.
 Has Written Many Criticisms.
 MT. Spock had permission to ask delegated power to represent the trav- cling men.
 MT. Spock: You write considerably for the newspapers. do you not%'
 MT. Douglas: "Yes, I did until was shut up>"
 MT. Spock: You signed yourself the Yankee Drummer did you not?''
 MT. Douglas: Yes"
 Wrote against the New Haven road. didn't you?
 'Tn a facetious way, eh ?''
 What do you meaMh by facetiouS%'
 MT. Spock wanted to know as to who shut up MT. Douglas and then asked if the list of injured persons was a recent one. and MT Douglas said 1t was.
 Shut of by New Haven Paper.
 MT Douglas a moment later when MT. Spock stopped his questioning said he would answer the question as to who shut him up. He sa1d una1 the papers had used what he had been writing and were always anxious to. This was true of the New Haven Reg 4ster, he said. Register suddenly refused to publish anything more and even refused to publish an advertisement which I took to 1t and was to pay for. Some powerful interest was behind It. I took the matter to the Palladium and it published 1t and was glad to, and I have copy of the Palladium here with 1t in.''
 Mir. spock: And the Palladium vent out of business" \ Disch araed for Appearing az Hearing.
 Mir Douglas then said: Tn my pay envelope one Saturday night I found ! a note which said that if wrote any thing more about the New Haven road I could consider myself discharged | Well, was 52 years of age and did l not like to go out looking for work | at that age, so I did not write. Two | years ago I appeared before the pub | lie utilities commission on @ matter l the railroad and l was dis charged by the concern Worked tOr | I am now working for another con- 1 cern."
 MT. Douglas was asked if he knew l the reason for his discharge and he 1 said that he afterwards personally i learned that tive hours before the pay 1 envelope which contained the note tell 1 ing him he would be discharged was i handed him the concern had received l a letter from the New Haven road,
 Decrease of 2s7 Trainnen.
 The principal speakers at the hear ing were Coroner Phelan, who de- seribed conditions at the Westport wreck and quoted from his finding and the evidence in which he set forth that the express was undermanned, Harrison Davis and Jonathan l.. Rowe Sag tka trAaaazans Ssaa1ag Q1iQQ. af