The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-01-04
A PROBLEM Of
PUBLIC SAFETY
Arguments Made Against So
Called Full Crew and 9th
er Legislation.
BURDEN TO FALL ON PUBLIC

by Il committee representing most ut
the railroads which operated In ul
lahomu.
The argument has been prepared ru
behalf of The Santa tc. Rock Island
Frisco, Katy Iron Mountain. kan>as
City Southern, NJ, - Il g.. Midland
Valley Fort Smith and Western Wich
ita Falls and Northwestern and ClIu
ton, Oklahoma aud Western Railway
companies The committee Is com.
posed Of Il. IT, Beacon Of the Rock
Island, A. l.. Mills, NJ the +. $. x W
j. A. FrateS of the Frisco ". 4, WlD|
liams Of the w. n a r. and f, A.
Lehman of the Santa fe
The pamphlet is devoted tu the pre-
sentauOn Of an argument from the
standpoint Of the railroad against the
full crew. car limit ana hospital bills
and other general legislation which
would have the effect Of adding to the
expenses Of the carriers The nrgu
ment states that the railroads are the
victims Of the high cost Of living.
"1he cost Of freight equipment and
maintenance has doubled I'm the past
fifteen years says the pamphlet
Fifteen years ago every freight ear
cost on an average Of Al94 Year
ly cost of repairs and renewals fif.
teen years ago was 3l07 FOR each
car. II is now S7O06. This is due to
the increased cost of labor and mate
rial. Fifteen years ago the average
locomotive cost $4,000 To-day they
cost an average Of S25,OOO cuch aud
the cost OF repairs and renewals has
Increased from four cents 10 ten cents
per mile run. During this time wage
have increased over % per cent"
Cost Would BE Enormous.
The argument states that the full
crew bill alone would cost the rail.
roads VI oklahoma S4OO,0OO year or
o per cent interest on S7OOOOOO The
latter amount would build $50 mile,
Of railroad or a line every year which
would reach across the state Of Okla
hOma
The pamphlet states that Governors
Foss 0f Massachusetts, Harmon Of
ohio, Hughes OF New York and Crucc
Of oklahoma, have vetoed full crew
bills passed by the legislatures Of their
states. chiefly because these measures
Tell within the province Of the public
service commissions Similar Positions
have been taken by the legislatures of
Texas and Louisiana. and otia.f states
have refused to pass bills Of the same
nature Governor Cruce also vetoed
the hospital bill.
In New Jersey, where full crew
bill has been In force for two years
the state chamber OF commerce has
taken up movement to repeal II, nc
c0rdinR TO the pamphlet II has been
shown that the law neither added
safety or convenience to the conduct
of the business Of the railroads. In
Pennsylvania the railroads ordered
the extra brakeman to remain In tn"
cahooSe, fearing that his presence
about the remaining cars would only
add to the hazard aud be of no value
10 the service. The full crew bill
passed by the legislature of Mis-, s,ourl
and signed by the governor was re-
fcrrrd To the people under the lnltln
tive aud referendum and as u result
of the vote at the November election
Il was defeated In l02 " the no
rouutics and lost ny lsllI votes.
Crews Are Full Now.
The pamphlet states that there ar"
The same number ~ men on trains To.
day 20, there were years aro when
trains were controlled 10y hand brakes
un The tank aud re-, ersc lever uf the
engine, aud draws the conclusion tha.
there I, no reason why additional
mn should hc required now when the
control " train is much more sim
pie. owing to air brake equipment
The term Full crew is missioner
says the argument for the reason that
'hc railroads nov have full crews
that Is, sufficient men Ia operate their
trains snfely and effectively
Sienking Of the car limit bill the
argument states that this has n pur
nose similar 10 that of the full crew
measure In that II seeks tu create po
sitions for additional men by reduu.
Ing the number Ol cars per train
thereby increasing the number at
trains run and the 'ust VI lruuspurtn.
tlOn II the car limit were placed al
thirty cars, the Traction units " nm
engine which woulu haul 30 cars would
bp wasted tn the extent of the excess
uf power unemployed. also thai unf.
fic would be- made more dense. hrml.
Ing about congestion on single tricks
railroads
Don't Want Hospital Bill
Speaking of the hospital bin the ar,
guments states that this matter should
he left entirely 10 the railroads and
heir employees. II ls declared that II
has been proven hcyond doubt In OK.
IahOmn than Rinely.fivc per cent of
ihc employees do not want such legisla-
tlOn
THE properties represented by the
committee paid To the state Of Okla
h0ma for the year 1913, the sum of
~ aOO. T2392 In taxes" says the
pamphlet There are spproximatel,
2,OO0,O0O investors, large and small
who hold ninety.flye per cent Of the
railroads securities. Most Of these
Investors are IN moderate circumstan'
eos and have been investing their say
lngs FROM time to time with view
Of laying up competency for old age
We ask and solicit for those noidlnp
securities of the Oklahoma railroads
only that which amy other citizen oi
industry could reasonably ask or b'
entitled 10, justice
'The expenses brought about by ar
hitrAry leqiaintiun must b. met by no