Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-05
URGE REPEAL OF
FULL CREW" LAW.
Pine New Jersey Railroads Pc
fitiOn Legislature to Abolish
Costly Measure.
SAY THEIR COMPANIES
FACE FINANCIAL CRISIS
Also Ask That Lawmakers Save
Them from Issuing Passes
to State Officials.
Especial to the Evening start

TRENTON, March 5.-Nine rail-
roads operating in this state came
into both houses of the Legislature
With memorials yesterday, asking for
aid in economizing on their cost of
maintenance. Inc one they asked
that the Legislature prohibit the is
suing OF free passes to any and all
State officials and employees, urging
that Congress has discountenanced it
and twenty-five States have prohib-
lied it. In the other they ask for the
repeal of the full crew. act which,
they say, is wasteful and inefficient
and too costly for them to continue.
Agents of the various companies
feailed to induce any State senator
To take up the memorials and present
them to the Senate. An the Assem-
bly, they were more fortunate, for As
semblyman w. Give Crosby, of
Essex, took pity on them and put in
the memorial after being assured by
Speaker Beekman that there was
nothing in them that might not be
read in the House. The memorials
were afterwards addressed to the
president of the Senate with the ex-
PLANTATION that the companies had no
ether way of getting them before that
house.
The railroads request the appeal of
all laws that in effect require them
TO transport, free, State or other pub
lie officials The States which have
prohibited it are the following: New
York, Pennsylvania. Alabama Ar
kansas, California, Florida, Georgia,
Indiana, Kentucky, Maine Massachu-
sets, Missouri, Montana, New Hamp-
shire, Nevada, Nebraska, Oregon,
South I)alxntn Nirois,io "
ginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
We firmly believe that sound pub
lie opinion and public policy demand
such prohibition and that the State
or New Jersey should follow the
policy of the national government
and her sister States" the memorial
concludes.
The memorial respecting the repeal
of the full crew act, passed after the
expenditure of so much effort by the
labor representatives and assem- bly,
men and senators in sympathy with
tSaem was signed by eight presidents
OF railroads. They said their roads
were facing financial crisis 1t is
an interesting document because it
gives freely more information about
railroad financial conditions than the
Legislature has ever been treated to
III this State. 1t read in part as fol-
lows:
How Full Crew Law Hits Roads.
THE withdrawal of large amounts
from these purposes by the wasteful
operation of this statute is an injury
TO the public.
These and other causes have
brought about a very large increase
~ operating expenses and created a
.ltuation calling for the most rigid
Il
these companies are compelled by this
statute, without any possible benefit
or return, each year many thousands
of dollars.
The expense necessarily incurred
by your petitioners in complying with
the requirements of the full crew law
In the period of nine months during
which it has been in effect is $685.
7842S. This amount would be very
largely increased If figures were avail
4 BILE from all the companies affected.
These petitioners and the railroad
companies generally carr estly pro-
tested against the passage of this act
and the objections then urged in an
ticipation have now been verified by
experience.
1.-The claim made that the act would
promote the safety of travellers or
employees has been shown to be ut
terly unfounded; nor has the law
proved beneficial in any respect. The
expenditure which it has made nee
essary has been merely wasted.
1.-THE sums so wasted and lost to
these companies alone and their
stockholders and to tho public, capt.
talized on a four per cent. basis.
amounts to 1884. 607.
1.-THE Public Utility Commission be-
fore the passage of this law had full
power to require the employment of
additional trainmen in any instance
where 1t was necessary. A repeal of
this law will restore to them this
power.
1--WE attach hereto a draft Of a bill
repeating the so-called full crew law.
which we request the president of the
Senate and the speaker of the House
of Assembly to cause to be introduced,
and we ask that the opportunity to
be afforded us to appear before the
proper committees for the purpose of
urging the passage of such repeater"
The memorial was signed by Sam
uel Rea. president of the Pennsyl-
vania and the West Jersey and Sea-
shore Railroads.; w. H. Truesdell,
president of the Lackawanna; %. b.
Thomas, president of the Lehigh Val
ley Railroad: George f. Baer, presi-
dent of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey; A. Fl. Smith. president of the
New York Central and Hudson River
Railroad, and John 3. Kerr, president
of the New York, Ontario and West
ern Railroad.
Senate DevOtes Afternoon