The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-08-13

son or brother for money; on the other
hand, the collection of damages out
OF railroad revenues, as a punishment
for an aVoidable accident when there
can be no real compensation, is an
economic waste; it Furnishes the pub
lie more than it punAshes the stock
holders, as it depriveS tho public by
exactly the amount of the damages
OF the ability of the railroad to pro-
vide additional permanent facilities
for the use or convenience and safety
OF the public. Given the progressive
policy of Southern Railway Company
to make such improvements to the
extent Of its ability, it is Of interest
to note that, in the last year a divi-
dend was paid by the Company, $50
cents of every dollar of revenue col
lected from the public went in pay
ment Of damages of all kinds, prac-
tlcally the same amount, 1888 cents.
went to the stockholders, while only
thirteen-hundredths of one cent of
each dollar Of revenue could be ap-
piled on permanent improvements.
Such other improvements as were
made were necessarily charged to new
capital, thereby increasing the de-
mands on the fund in which the pub.
lie has so vital an interest. 1t would
be the pleasure of the management
always to apply as much of the rev.
enues on permanent improvements as
on dividends, if that was possible.
There is, then, basis of interest as
we'll as of morals for cooperation be-
tween the public and the railroads to
prevent the recurrence of these trag.
edies.
with deep sense of the respon-
sibility of management in this mat
ter and pledging this Company to do
everything in its power which is rea.
sonable and consistent with the func-
lions for which it was chartered, ap-
peal to the public generally for such
cooperation in avoiding these serious
and distressing accidents. In practical
ly all cases they can be, and in most
cases are, readily and easily avoided
by the automobile driver acting upon
the familiar warning to stop, look and
listen at railway crossings. While
familiarity with the crossing sign
posts and the regular schedules OF
trains may breed contempt of danger,
surely every one of us when using a
highway can afford to sacrifice enough
of his time and his pride of opinion
to have practical assurance of safe
ty. On the other hand, the demands
of commerce and of public transpor-
tation do not permit railroad to stop
all its trains at all highway crossings:
If that was possible it would be cheap
er for the railroad to do so than to
pay the damages. 1t is clear, however,
that it is necessary that one or the
other of the parties to a crossing shall
stop II the largest measure of protec-
ton of life and limb and property Ia
to be secured. If not from self-inter-
est, can not the automobile driver
yield the precedence as a matter of
courtesy to age, for the railroad is
older than the automobile!
Eliminating Grade Crossings
THE ideal of safety will be accom-,
plished only when all grade crossings
of railroads are separated. In this
respect Southern Railway Company is
doing something every year and as
much as its resources and other obi.
cations make possible: indeed. it may
be claimed that the Company is,
speaking generally, making progress
more rapidly than most municipalities
which have an obligation in the prem.
ises: but by cooperation of munich.
palities and railroads many dangerous
crossings have been eliminated
throughout the South, and more will
be every year. Furthermore, on every
bit Of construction work of Southern
Railway Company now in progress, or
recently completed, involving the re-
location or double tracking of line
(nearly four million dollars has been
spent on such work during the past
year,, provision has been made at
large additional expense to separate
all important highway crossings OF the