The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-10-23
OF VITAL INTEREST
TO EVERY CITIZEN
IN COMING ELECTION
\ Law Which Would Cost Railroads
Of the State Over Half Million
Dollars Extra Yearly.

In last weeks article we discussed
the question Of what the railroads do
with their income. In u future arti-
Gle we will take up the enormous in
creased cost Of labor, and all kinds of
railroad supplies, the installation OF
block signals, steel cars, heavier steel
rails, larger locomotives, better road
beds. doing away with grade cross
lngs, etc.
In most instances theseadded costs
were neutrality-suspicious. as they
do to the greater safety and comfort
of the public, the employee, and a
more efficient and adequate service to
the people generally. Occasionally
however. the railroads have been com.
PEELED to pay an unnecessary tribute
simply because they were unable to
help themselves, and a typical exam
pie Of this can be found in Proposition
No 9, which is known as the Full
Grew Bill" and which will he voted
upon at the Forthcoming election II
November.
As the reader will doubtless recall
this act was passed by the last Legls'
laturc. and SO unfair and unnecessary
has it been considered that 1891
citizens scattered all over the state
signed petitions which will give the
voters an opportunity to reject II
under the Referendum law and thus
protect the railroads Of Missouri
against this unfair demand. which, un,
less rejected mt the polls. will cost
them over half million dollars extra
every year from this time forward.
The title Of Full Crew Bill" was
evidently bestowed upon the act &c
purposely mislead the public-to ere
ate the impression that present traif
crews are insufficient and incomplete
that there are now fewer men EN-
ployed on trains than is necessary fol-
their safe operation when, as a mat
ter of, fact, there is no unperformeC
service which could be assigned tC
the extra brakeman" demanded b!
this law, and who is to be placed up
on every freight train carrying II
cars or more and upon all passenger
trains carrying 6 cars or more. A
the present time through and loca
freight trains are manned as follows
One engineer to run the engine.
One fireman to fire the fire.
One conductor to run the train.
One hagman or brakeman to fiai
the train.
One brakeman for such other ser
vices as occasion may require.
In addition TO these, there ar
switching crews who make up train
at all terminal points and inspector
who assist in looking out for such de
| fects in cars as might endanger tn
| running of trains--a point which l
being emphasized so strongly in tn
sentimental hand bills and bill board
| throughout the state. From the abov
enumeration it should be apparent Z
any thinking man that there is n
legitimate service which this extr
brakeman can perform which is no
already adequately provided for.
As a matter of fact, a brakeman o.
modern freight or passenger trail
| is a misnomer for the reason that 10
years all trains have been controlle
by air brakes applied by the engi
neer from the engine and which con
| trOl tne entire tTdii' Inc aHouht
air used on trains is regulated by tn
government-andh hence. since Their
was no vacant place for this "extr
brakeman" the trainers Of the bil
chose to mask the unfairness Of thei
demands by specifying that he sha'
be employed upon all trains carrying
an excess of the number Of cars stat
ed above.
How Trains Operate.
The operation of railroad trair
lust like the operation Of q threshin
machine, saw mill, or any other piec
Of machinery, requires only certai
number of men and any excess G
this number are more of hindranc
than help because they get in eac
others way. A train Of so or &C car
operates exactly like a train Of 4
cars. The movement and control