Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-06-05
RAILROAD MEN
 PREPARE LAWS
w. D. Jackson Again Chair
 man, and George Hill is Vice Chairman.


 lative board of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen convened their triennial meeting with all members of the board present and presided over by w. D. Jackson of this city, who has [ been chairman of the board for seven years.
 1 After reading the minutes of the last meeting the officers for the next three years were elected. w. D. , Jackson was unanimously reelected chairman, w. E. Pearsall. Argenta, secretary, and George Hill, Pine Bluff. vice chairman.
 The following members of the board are attending the meeting which will adjourn today: C.. G.. Jones, Fl Dorado; P. D. Wood, Para gould; R. R. Robinson, Hoxie; w. C.. Brodie, Cotter; l.. L. Linton, Fort Smith; M A. Flight, Harrison; w. p. Pearsall Argenta; Lew Carpenter and | w. D. Jackson, Little Rock. l This board meets once every three years to prepare resolutions and rec concentrations for the passage of state laws that will be of safety and protection to the trainmen and the otHef ldDOflnS men.
 The resolutions drawn up by the board are filed with the secretary and are presented to the legislature by Mir. Jackson for their passage.
 Laws Railroaders Want.
 One of the most important matters brought up at the meeting was rec | Omml mlnd9finn 1o that will allow trainmen who are out on their runs on election day, and who hold poll tax, to allow them to cast their vote for state officers at any point in the state, should they apply to the election judges and sign an af- fldavit that they are taXpaying citi- zens and are entitled to vote in their home town. Recently the railroad men have taken an active part in poli- tics and on some occasions they are out of the city when elections are held and for that reason they are heartily in favor of having the legislature pass such law.
 Another r e m m e n a ion was adopted, asking for the passage of a law, prescribing the maximum car limit of freight trains, not to exceed lllty cars to the train. At present seVenty-flve to 100 cars are handled in one train on some roads in the state, I which works hardship on the train- men, as the longer the train is, more responsibility rest upon them, and that with the present car limit less men are needed to operate the trains: This matter is being pushed and will | 70 full crew bill, which was recently Won by the trainmen in the courts at Hot Springs.
 The next motion to be taken up was that of prohibiting tramps, ho- boes and trespassers on the trains; and that law be passed giving freight conductors authority to make arrests and giving them the same au- thority as that of a civil officer.
 The rules of the railway are that the trainmen keep the trespassers off the trains and many of the trainmen have been injured and some of them killed, in fights with hoboes while trying to eject them from the trains. This class of people are considered among the toughest element and the tralnmen want some protection in en- forcing the rules of the company and for their own protection.
 The board then recommended a law that would compel railways to con- struct and maintain electric block signals at the approach of tunnels, which would mean much for the safe ty of the trainmen, as men who have never travelled over divisions where trains go through tunnels are not aware of their location, and this is es- pecially dangerous at night to the trainmen, who, at times, are requir- ed to stand on top of the train while in motion. With the electric signal they would be given warning and would have time to get in a safe po- sition while going through the tun- nel
 G. w. Anderson, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railway Train men, with headquarters at Sedalia, Mo-, arrived in the city this morning to attend the meeting, and will re- main in the city for several days in 1 the interest of that organization.