The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-02-01
TrDrnAI. CONTROL
on RAILROADS

vi HttLttDtttN
The federal control Of railroads
exclusively. Instead OF tie railroads
being amenabie 10 the restrictions inn
posed BY the federal government rs
well as those OF thr forty-e.eh. states.
s. desirable. n shown by data recently
compiled ny one large road. indicating
q few of the many instances wherein
the roRds are done an Injustice hy
reason Of the conflicting laws in states
which they traverse.
For instance. take the small and
what appear 20 be insignificant, things.
we find that one state ordcts cvspidOrs
in passenger cars and an acJsc.ns
state through which the road runs
prohibits them. This mean putting
the cuspidors In or remcvmg the n
frs,m cars at the state lme 20 as TO
comply with the la~S.
One state requires scr ans In the
car windows. a ntsShl.rips state,
traversed by the same roaa. prohibits
them.
A northwestern state tried. con
vicsed and sent 20 Jail n railroad agca,
who obeyed a federal InIunction for
bidding him to put into effect certain
rates decrcea by tho state legislature.
a southern state indicted 3 number
OF railroad Officers under similar cir
cumstances.
Another southern state passed a law
providing that II a RAILROAD chartered
outside Of It's territory. shovla cues
tion in n federal court ans proceed
inns Of tho state Legislature "a should
forfeit h privilege OF operating in
the state.
Fifteen states seek Ia favor their
own traffic against that OF other states
By laws regulating the movement OF.
freight cars.
Twenty states have iawn governing
the hours of service. the maximum
ranging from ten TO sixteen hours.
NTwcnty-eight states specify head
light requirements. without an APP
proach to uniformity and regardless OF
the fact that trains pass from one
state TO another.
Fourteen states have dissimllar safe
~ appliance acts.
Twenty states have passed extra
crew laws and twenty-one hav re-
fused.
Between 1919 and 1915 about 1000
new laws affecting railroads were pro-
posed In ongre and state leg;sla-
lures, and a total OF 40 were en-
acted.
Nineteen states have their Individual
and dissimiiar. regulation for the issue
OF stocks and bonds.
The railroads are not altogether
biameiess for tho many attempts that
have been made. especially by states.
TO obtain relief for the people from
The indignites from which they had
suffered AZ the hands OF the reads for
years. The fact OF the matter is. IL
has been fashionable during the past
ten or twelve years for state legisla-
lures 10 take a swat at the railroads
whenever the opportunity presented
itself, and man. a legislator has been
elected TO his seat because OF his an
bounced intention TO Introduce and
advocate certain anu-Failroad legisla-
tion as soon as he got on the Job. The
result is the tumble of laws and
reEalativc measures referred 10 above.
Il would ne much better for the
railroads, me the people. too. u all
regulating could &c don by congress
or a body corresponding 10 the inter
state m commission. In that
way the roads would not v the
multitude OF conflicting state laws 70
contend with. whieh. IL is obvious 60
any fair minded observer, would be
much more satisfactory than the con-
ditions snd restrictions under which
the roads arc laboring az present.