Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-07

Issued statement to the effect that,
| by reason of this law, there is caused
waste of S1,100,000 annually in the
employment of unnecessary men on
the PENNSYLVANIA system alone. The
company's truthfulness is certainly to
be doubted in its statement of addi-
tional cost. First of all, the Full
Crew Law requires one additional
member in the train crew, a flagman
or brakeman. The daily pay of such
is $3.50 for all local runs and Sol 6-lO
per mile for the run from Philadel-
phia to New York, etc. On that basis
| 1t would appear as If the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad employs about 600 addi-
uonal hands on its passenger trains.
In view of the fact that there is not
I 800 full crews on the PENNSYLVANIA
system, East of Pittsburgh and Erit.
the statement can very reasonably be
doubted.
The Pennsylvania Railroad appeal
| states, further, Every train on this
railroad has full crew, and this ex-
ira expenditure adds nothing to safety
or public convenience" Thanks for
the Full Crew Law the trains have
now full crew. Prior to the enact
ment of this law, when a train was
made up of engine, baggage car, and,
say, ten passenger coaches, each
coach seating eighty-four persons,
making possible total of $40 passen-
gers, was delayed by reason of one of
! the many possible causes of delay,
such as broken air hose, wheel flange,
engine disarrangement or brake down,
ETC., the first duty of the conductor
was to seek the nearest telephone to
! communicate with the nearest tower
or station in order to report the delay.
| Frequently this necessitated his alb
sence from the train for period of
half an hour or more, and also pos
= Gil I,ofVN
the scene.
| Passengers Unprotected
! The brakeman in the meanwhile is
required to go back q safe distance
of about third of a mile, in order
! to protect the rear of his own train
and to flag any that may be follow
! ing. If a baggage car is attached and
J a baggagemaster in charge, it must
not be left alone under any condition,
the rules of the company requiring
tho baggagemaster to remain in his
car at all times Consequently the
passengers on the train (possibly $40
souls) are left unprotected and have
no one to warn or bar their way from
wandering onto the tracks or other
wise jeopardizing their persons to in
jury or death from the many dangers
surrounding them under such condi-
tions The Full Crew Law in a large
measure reduces this liability of in
jury OF ueaJ1 TO passengers, lnaSI1uCn
as the additional brakeman is left in
charge of the passenger coaches,
warning the passengers of possible
dangers in trespassing along the rail-
road, and, also to supply information
TO those desiring same. The addi-
tionals member of the crew is, there
fore. performing a double service, first
in warning passengers from possible
dangers, etc. and, secondly, in safe
guarding the compsny's interests from
possible lawsuit due to carelessness
on the part of an unthinking pas
senger.
With particular references to the
statment. of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, to the effect that the additional
member of the train crew Is an un-
necessary and needless expense, etc,
brings out a very serious question. If
the addition of one brakeman (pay
about $3.50 per day) to train crew
having in charge from 400 to 1000
souls is an unnecessary and needless
expense, why does the company al
ways add an extra member to the
crew when a private or business car
is attached to the train. Is not the
additional member added in order to
provide safeguards to the occupants
of the private or business car? II
would be unnecessary to have an ad-
ditional brakeman to merely look after
the car itself. A servant or porter
usually accompanies the car in order
TO provide sor the needs of the Of
fetal or special passenger. Conse-
sluently, If the additional brakeman is