Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-03-13
FULL CREW LAW
DEBATED BEFORE
IMMENSE CROWD
Trainman and Engineer Clash
in OratoricaI Battle Over Alb
sorbing Topic.
From a stan Correspondent.

From n Staf Correspondent.
JERSEY CITY, March 1s.-Before a
crowd of more than 1000 men. railro"d
emp Dyes and others interested in the
subject. Hart ]. Fackenthall. an engi-
neer employed by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, and Francis P.
Boland, a brakeman and a member
Of the State Assembly. debated ths
repeal of the so-called full crew law,
last night, In Elks' Hall, this city.
So great was the interest in the
meeting that another 1000 were
turned away from the doors of the
hall. Men stood In the aisles and
packed the doorways, until the police
refused to admit any more.
The windows along one side of the
hall were packed with intent auditors
who remained until the last word had
been said. Despite the fact that they
were repeatedly informed by the OH
GERS that no other person could be ad-
mitted. the men in the street outside
the hall remained until the very end
OF the meeting. The crowd extended
across Henderson street and flowed
around both side streets.
1t was reported that the railroad
companies had made special provision
to have men in their Office STATS
present at the meeting, and had per-
IA - aar
work at an especially early hour for
that purpose Special trains were
run, carrying men from Trenton and
intervening points. 1t was said that
a whole trainload had come from Ell e
abethport alone, and that men had
been brought In a body from the Ere
shops. In spite Of this. however, the
sentiment of the majority was over
whelming'y against repeal. AS each
point was made by the adversaries, 1t
was greeted with vociferous cheers,
but by all means the loudest applause
came whenever Mr.. Boland made a
point in favor Of the law as 1t stands.
1t was said that officers of the rail-
road company and certain of its press
representatives remained within easy
reach while the debate was in prog
ress.
No Newspapers rs Jurors.
The point raised by the Evening
star that there should be no jury
of newspaper editors. already COM
m,tted to repeal. to decide the merits
OF the controversy and was concurred
in. The Evening Star called attention
editorially to the manifest unfairness
of such a proceeding Certain news
papers In the state have taken sides In
the matter, and to have their repre-
sentatives, who have already ad-
Judged the merits of the case and
against the trainmen sit wou d make
the thing a farce. This fact was so
opposed that managers of the affair
changed their plans.
Mr. Boland began by declaring that
the Full Crew Law was conceived
first for humanity while Mr.. Facken-
thall characterized 1t as unjust,
arbitrary and unfair to the railroads.
Both men argued from the same
points, but Mr.. Boland ran away from
his adversary, quoting figures to
sustain each contention. He easily
ed Mr.. Fackenthall having
quote from. In his opening. Mr..
I'm the early days of railroading
had very much less to look
after, there were fewer passengers
to look after per train while freight
not only had less cars to
attend to but both freight and pas
senger conductors did not have to
give the attention to details that they
do today, and as a result could help
their brakemen out when they could
not keep up with the work. Today
with double the passengers. double
the cars in the freight train. land more
than three times the reports to make
out, he can give very little attention
to his brakemen. and none in the ay
Of help. and 1t Is physical impossi-
bi,ity for two men to attend to all
the details in safeguarding their trains
where they are handling the heavy
and long trains of the present day.
Elements of Humanity.
1.-THE element of human fallibility
enters largely into all human effort;
when. we add to this the extra burden
Of requiring one man to do two mems
work, or two men to do three mems
work II is no longer a question of
but simply inability to do
the work required without harship
that is inhuman when the only ex-
cuse is that the shareholder must
have the small fraction of one per
cent. that would go to paying the
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