New Britain herald., 1917-09-14
LICENSE CREWS TO
 ELIMINATE WRECkS
Coroner Believes in Restrictions
 on Trains and Trolleys VICTORIAN EATON HELD
Character of Employes Now Engaged in Transporting Public Attacked by Mix ill Finding on Derby Crash Sept. 3.

Sept. 3.
 New Haven, Sept 14-Licensing by the state of drivers of steam trains and electric cars as a means of elim- mating incompetent operatives and reducing accidents and contingencies arising from the human equation" IS suggested by Coroner Eli Mix to- day in finding on the death of Charles Gothburg of Naugatuck, one of the three persons killed by the trolley collision at Derby on the night of September 3, and for whose death Motorman Edward Earl Eaton of Derby is held criminally respon- sible.
 The accident occurred when Ea- tons car, carrying between 100 and 12O persons, bound from New Haven to Derby, crashed into a service car causing the three deaths and injuring many other passengers.
 The finding reviews the accident in detail, and states that although Ea- tons car had to be assisted up grade shortly before the accidene, afterwards and at the time of the collision it was under it's own power and was running at high speed, de- spite indications which should have caused the motorman to have his car under control at the time, and that Gothburg's death was caused ''by the criminal act, omission and careless ness of Edward Earl Eaton, and that said Edward Earl Eaton is ,criminally responsible for the death of Charles Gothburg.'
 Competent Employes Unobtainab1e.
 There seems to be a constantly increasing public feeling, not alone limited to the observations of the public press, that the arrangements of this class of public service of cor porations are unable for one reason or another to properly enforce their disciplinary rules, to secure compe- tent and reliable help, or to prevent incompetent help being forced upou them. In this matter the travelling public, their relatives and friends have a very direct interest in protect ing themselves from injury and death by reason of this incompenteney of either employees or management.
 "Upon the faithfulness and ability of the employees and arrangements of our steam and electric railways, the safety and lives of the vast number of men, women and children, who daily and nightly ride upon said railways depend and I deem this an opportune time, view of the recent wrecks which have occurred, to sug- gest to the public that they consider the propriety of further laws being enacted requiring said employees to qualify and demonstrate to competent authority their qualifications and ability to safely operate cars and trains and that their right to con- tinue in service be left to the proper state licensing authorities.
 T am of the opinion that automo- bile legislation furnishes in it's grow ing drastic character the reflection of the public mind in dealing with the incompetent chauffeur. May it not we'll be asked whether the broad and generous powers extended in many particulars to the Public Utilities Commission by the General Assembly for the protection of the public are not too seriously clouded in doubt, both by expressed limitation or in terested construction as to be able to meet the contingencies that have arisen and are likely to arise from the human element or human equa- tion' so frequently alluded to-"
 Referring to Motorman Eaton, the coroner says:
 "Considering all the testimony talk en at said inquest and the report of the autopsy, I find Motorman Eaton was operating car 9SO (the passenger car) previous to and at the time of said collision at an excessive rate of speed that he was not maintaining such a view of his track as he was in duty bound to do; that he did not have said car under control; that he was operating said car in reckless, careless and negligent manner, and by so operating said car was utterly re- grdless of the safety of the passengers