The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-09
10 RAIL PRESIDENTS
ATTACK FULL CREW
Join in Petition to the Legis-
lature for Repeal Of
the Law.
MANY EVILS ARE CITED

A petition backed by unusual author
ity in the signatures OF ten railroad
presidents. representing $4,000 miles Of
been presented to the New York state
Legislature asking the repeal OF the
full crew law by the passage OF the
Conklin bill.
TIL letter Is signed by Presidents A.
" Smith OF the New York Central. +.
n Underwood Of the Erie. W r. Noonau
Of the Buffalo. Rochester and piitsburg.
Samuel Rca OF the Pennsylvania. w. n.
Truesdale OF the Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western, v. y. Thomas OF the Le-
ware and Hudson. Howard Elliott Of the
New Haven, John II. Kerr Of the New
and Western and Frank
:. Smith. receiver OF the Plttsburg.
Sha and Northern.
THE records OF the Interstate Com
merce Commission and of tho Public
Service Commission OF the state OF New
York" the petition ~recites, do not con-
ain a single record of al accident which
is asserted TO have been caused by the
NAAtNa'N ~ 'AN ~ AE 'Nf
IDENTIFY asserted that mo accidents have
taken place which could have been
averted hy the presence of more men In
the crew"
The letter calls the full crew law an
'unwarranted drain" for which there
Is 70 necessity and points out that the
state has IN the Public Service Com
mission . body fully competent 10 de
terminc the requisite number OF mon 10
iatd1, fraf,a tsgfhnt. uxn1 fart.1L-.
on the subject.
The law cost thu railroads in this
State sl,l50.00o in the year ended Sep
tembcr !, 1914 II tho companies had
been relieved OF the burden Of this law
tho railroad men say. tho money saved
would ave bought 1I5 steel coaches or
IS locomotives. or $4,000 tons OF rail.
track. or block signals for $50 miles
of track. or would have eliminated 40
grade crossings.
The law. say tho railroad men, is
harmful In ths following respects:
Il has arbitrarily put on thou
sands Of passenger and freight
trains extra men for whose presence
there IL no need.
II has created employment with
out real service going with IL. and
IN this way has worked violence 10
economic laws and forced waste into
railroad operation.
II has worked harm 20 The public
and has added burdens which tho
people are not fairly called upon TO
stand.
II has worked 10 foist upon the
backs of the whole body Of railroad
employees hundreds of men who
draw pay buy for whom there ex-
iets no essential service to per
form
II has nut organized Ia hor in me
false and untenable position Of de
manding employment ny edict Of
law,
II has not increa sed safety. The
safety OF a railroad train depends
fundamentally o the perfection
Of the track the state and Mind of
tho equipment. tho efficiency ~ The
signal system, the N~atIhfuines-
OF tho dospatChirs forces and tho
efficiency and vigilance 81 tho train
men and other employees.
II has not Increased efficiency II
Nclency annot he increased under
q system wh'ch compels the employ
mont OF two men 10 do the work
of one. or OF three mon 10 do the
york ~ two
The railroad men 'eel that m. repeal
~ the law VIII be passed An In
formal canvass Of the Legislature re-
Gently showed that legislative opinion
was IN favor OF repeal.