The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-13
A VIEW OF FULL CREW LAW
Editorial From a Philadelphia Newspa.
per, Which. Is Reprinted by Request
Editor, Star.lndependent:

Editor, Star.lndependent:
Dear Sir-The following editorial
from the Philadelphia Enquirer, pub.
lished February IL, 1915, under the
caption Railroads and Full Crew
Laws" is well worth the consideration
of all persons interested in this impor-
tant subject:
"In undertaking to arouse public
sentiment against the so-called full
crew. ldws, the railroad companies
which those laws affect are well within
their rights. There was no general de.
mand for the legislation whose repeal
is being sought. 1t was enacted at the
behest of special interests whose activ.
ity was prompted by desire to secure
q special if not an exclusive benefit.
OF course, its ostensible purpose was
the protection of the travelling public,
but the need for such perfection as it
affords is what remains to be demon
strated. The railroad companies insist
that no such need exists. They say
that the real object of the full crew )
legislation was to compel the employ
ment by them of men whose services
are not required and that the many
millions of dollars whose annual expend-
iture it entails is so much money
wasted. If such be the fact, the dis.
continuance of this unproductive and
unremunerative expenditure would un-
questionably inure to the welfare of the
community.
cit should be remembered that the
financial resources of the railroads are
not unlimited. Their income is con-
fined to what they collect from the peo-
pie and it is the concern of everybody
that it should be spent to the best ad-
vantage. If they are forced to devote
considerable proportion of it to the
payment of wages for services from
which they obtain no valuable return,
it is obvious that their ability to ac-
eommodate the public is to that extent
decreased. They are obliged to make
up in one way what they lose in an
other, which means that they must
practice economies at their patrons ex-
pense. They do this chiefly by reduc-
ing the number of trains wherever a
reduction is practicable, by scrimping
their maintenance charges and by lay
ing off all the men, with whom they
can possibly dispense. Injurious con
sequences of varied and comprehen-
sive character ensue. The public is
disconnected through the curtailment
of facilities to which it had become ac.
customed, related industries are Grip
pied and large number of wage work
ers lose their jobs.
"Just how much truth there is in
the contention that travelling is made
safer by the full crew laws is very
doubtful, but upon this point it may
be remarked that Pennsylvania has
Public Service Commission with ex-
tensive powers in the premises, which
it has shown every disposition to exer-
else whenever due occasion for their
exercise has been exhibited. 1t was
upon this ground that the present JUS
tice Hughes, when Governor of New
York, vetoed full crew. bill which
had been passed by the New York As
sembly. He pointed out that the duty
of safeguarding the travelling public
had been intrusted to body especially
constituted to that end and tha6 the
interference of the Legislature in the
matter was neither necessary nor deslr-
able. That remark is equally applicable
here and the railroads by the campaign
of education upon which they have en-
tered ought to be able to convince the
people not only that they are entitled
to the relief they seek, but also that
the grant of this relief would be gen
orally advantageous.
A Man in the Pennsy Ranks.