The Washington herald., 1915-08-28
INVENTIONS STOP
rail- COLLISIONS
Railroad Officials Thoroughly
Alive to Need of Safety
First" Measures.
DECREASE IN ACCIDENTS
Safety On Railways Discussed by
Samuel o. Dunn-Cites His
tory of Roads.
BY H. b. MILLER.


railroads and in the majority of cases
It is more than a passive interest.
Most Of US enjoy riding on the trains;
all of US like to watch the trains go
by.
The interests of the railroads are
so closely interviewer with the in
terests Of the public that the latter
may find excuse for the patronizing
care that 1t sometimes exercises over
the former. It is an undoubted fact
that no other business nearly ap-
proaches transportation in its intimacy
with the public welfare. The trans
portation problem touches every phase
of human activities.
Railroads are not only great pro-
ducers of material prosperity. but
civilization itself follows the ribs of
steel Other conditions being equal,
that community, State or nation. is
most happy. whose means of trans
portation are the best.
Therefore. the public takes pardon
able pride in criticising. praising and
condemning, on occasions, its rail-
roads. Railroad owners. managers and
operators, come in for their full share
of the public's varying opinion of the
manner in which they perform their
duties.
What most excites the public inter
est, however. is the long list of killed
and injured from railway accidents.
Until recent years. the railroads ap-
parently acted upon the principle that
what the public did not know about
accidents was good for the public. To
the casual observer. that official on
would give out the least facts about
accidents, or other legitimate infor-
nation. stood highest in the estima-
ton Of his company; but at no time.
even when the pendulum of public
opinion had swung back to almost the
breaking point in its condemnation of
railroad methods, did the latter as
whole lose sight of the great fact that
their own prosperity as well as the
prosperity OF the country depends
largely upon harmonious relations.
A. stated before nothing SO disturbs
tho harmonious relations of the public
with the railroads as the fatalities and
injuries to human life, emphasized by
occasional disastrous wrecks in which
a particularly large number of per-
sons arc killed or injured.
The general public seems to have
three quite firmly fixed opinions re-
garding these accidents. First, tina,
there are too many Of such accidents;
second, that the number of them is
increasing as rapidly as the traffic
of the railways: third. that the man
agements of the railways are not max
ing sufficient efforts to reduce them
except such as they are forced TO make
by public regulation.
The first of these opinions is cor
rect. There are too many accidents on
our railways. The other two opinions
are decidedly erroneous. 1t is not a
increasing in proportion to the in
crease in the traffic handled, but, on
the contrary. it is relatively decreas-
ing. Nor is it true that the manage
ments of the railways are not voIun-
tarily making improvements in their
operating methods and physical plants
TO reduce accidents On the contrary,
they are putting forth, in this direc-
tion. many great and effective efforts
that they are not required by law to
make.
The railways exist to render to the
public the service of transporting pas
sengers and goods. The true criterion
of the success with which they are
dealing with the accident problem is
whether the extent 10 which the num-
Der Of accidents is increasing or de-
creasing in proportion to the number
OF men that they employ and the
amount OF public service that thew
render. II accidents increase as fas,
as. or faster than. the number of men
they employ and the amount of pub
lie service they render. then the safety
Of railway operation 10 relatively dimin- |
ishing. II. on the other hand. &C.
cidents are not increasing or are &C.
tually decreasing in proportion to the
number Of men employed and the
amount Of public service rendered.
then the safety OF railway operation