Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-26
TRAINMEN WILL ASK
EVERY VOTERS AID
CONTINUED from First Pagc.1

of efficiency with minimum of hazard
and that it is a law of great impor-
tance The joint legislative commit
tee also wants 1t understood that it
does not wish to destroy or embarrass
the corporations which they serve, but
to prove that their employment, haz-
ardous at best, may be made safer
without detriment to their employers,
and insist that a system which brings
the desired results should be con-
tinued. In the statement sent all over
the State to-day the trainmen and
conductors say, in part:
THE railroads have organized to
compass the repeal of the full crew
law and we, in defense of the law are
compelled to take issue with them. In
their appeal to the uniformed or mis-
informed public they designate the full
crew law as an extra crew law This
might mislead the public into the be-
lief that the law provides two crews
instead of one for each train. Below
we quote the law as applied to the
different trains:
Requirements of the Full Crew Law
Freight trains consisting of less
than thirty freight or other cars. en-
elusive of the caboose and engine, one
engineman and one fireman. one con-
ductor, one tiagman. one brakeman.
Trains consisting of thirty or more
boose and engine. one engineman, one
fireman, one conductor one fiagman,
two brakemen.
Passenger trains consisting of
three or less passenger cars and one
baggage car, exclusive of engine, one
engineman, one fireman, one con-
ductor, one baggagemaster, one flag
man. Trains consisting of four or
more passenger cars and one baggage
car. exclusive of engine, one engine
man, one fireman, one conductor, one
baggagemaster, one fiagman. one
brakeman. Trains consisting of four
or more passenger, mail or express
cars. one engineman. one fireman, one
conductor one flagman, one brake
man.
ON all mail and express trains the
rear end of the rear car must be
equipped with an exit free from OBJ
structions. platform not less than
thirty inches wide, steps and guard
rails, and heating appliances to main
tain a temperature of 10 degrees
Deny Excess In Expenses
''The principal objection to the full
crew is that it costs the wages of the
additional man. Railroad managers
are proverbially pessimistic. The In
terstate Commerce Commission was
resisted at the outset with all the
force, mental and material, that the
freely predicted that the commission
would paralyze business and bankrupt
the railroads But soon after the
creation of the commission the rail-
road managers not only accepted it
but openly pronounced it a beneficence.
Later when it was proposed to equip
trains with automatic airbrakes the
calamity rang out louder than the
thunder of heaven and the atmos-
phere was freighted with predictions
of bankruptcy.
THE improvement worked economy
in the operation of trains by prevent
ing wrecks. The full crew law will
have the same result. In view of these
facts the absurdity of the assertion
that the full crew law brings a solvent
railroad within the shadow of bank
ruptcy or impairs it's financial stand
ing becomes obvious.
The manning of a big train of cars
so as to secure the maximum of effi-
cheney with the minimum of hazard is
q matter of grave Importance. Rail-
roa ding is a dangerous employment at
best. as is shown by the refusal of ac-
cident insurance companies to accept
trainmen as risks. There are two sides
to this question, of course One rep
resents corporate interests and the
other humanity. The railroad man.
ayers would saVe-a trile at the risk of
the lives of hundreds of men who as
sumo all forms of danger in order to
earn an honest livelihood for them
selves and families. The fun crew law
diminishes the dangers. and the Legis
lature having. after due deliberation,
established it, the trainmen seek to
have it continued.
Not Asking Favors
''We are not asking faVors. We are
appealing for justice. The full crew
is not an experiment in the industrial