Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-22
ROADS ASK SUSPENSION
OF FULL CREW STATUTE
Urge Wartime Modification OF
Law to Release Men for
Other Duties
LABOR INTERESTS OPPOSE

HARRISBURG, May -.
The railroads, in urging before the Ran T.
| road Committee Of the Senate at pubUc
hearing this afternoon, the passage OF the
| Mckee bill suspendng the tull crew law
| during the war, declared through theh
array Of counsel that freight congestion on
the railroads is due to great degree to
the full crew law.
The railroads cannot get SuniCient
number Of men to man the trains necessary
TO move freight during the war times they
asserted. Their representatives added that
the release Of the extra" men required by
the fun crew law would enable them to
handle IS per cent more freight by making
up new train crews from the men who would
be released from ther present employment
by tho suspension Of the law,
The arguments Of the railroads were
summarized in statement issued by them
during the hearing. The statement fol-
lows:
The fun crew law requires the employ
ment on railroads in Pennsylvania Of l74O
men at this time II these men could be
released for service for which they are in
great demand, II would enormously increase
the ability OF the railroads Of the state
to more traffic
ITO illustrate, of the total number. lilS
are in freight servce--enough men to pro-
vide crews for movement Of 1913 trains be-
tween Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with
the average load, these trains would carry
siNty-fUur cars, and with the crews making
twenty trips per month. which is about
what they average this would move 202,240
cars per month. Allowing an average OF
fifteen tons of freight per car, the volume
Of traffic. so handled. would reach 3,O33,6O0
tons per month. How much movement
Of traffic this Is may be comprchended
when 1t is stated that il represents about
IS per cent Of the total freight now handled
on the Pennsylvania lines cast Of PITTS
burgh.
LABOR PROBLEM ACUTE
Railroads are having unusual difficulties
in getting sufficient men. In CGdcr to get
more men for train service they have been
forced to raise the age limit and modify
various employment requirements. With all
that has been done it has been impossible TO
h the lists as they should he, and at present
there are virtually no extra lists on any
railroad I'm this state To put the Adamsou
law into effect in the Pittsburgh and Al
tOOna yards Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
would require i4S more men than are now
available. To give the railroads of Penn
sylNania the number of men which they
should now have for train service, including
"A reasonable but not large extra list. would
require 5000 more men for train service than
are now available. Thus nearly one-fcurth
OF the men who are now urgently required
can be provided Immediately through the
suspension Of the full-Crew law, while 1t
would release to service where they are
badly needed hundreds Of men who are now
held in pcsitions where they are not needed.
II is obvious that the suspension Of the full
crew law will put no men out Of Jobs. II
will give every man a jon where he can per
form real service which Is very essential IT
the railroads are to perform the tranSporta-
ton service which the country now requires.
when the cunSCripton law goes int"
effect II will draft thousands Of men, in
Guiding a great number of railroad men.
TO illustrate. on the Pennsylvania Railroad
lines east there are 1876 men in train
service subject to cOnscription, and $4,000
in all branches Of the service. As near as
can he figured the railroFds of Pennsyl-
vania have got to give up about 1900 men
for the nine regiments which the Govern
ment Is organizing for railroad work in
France
TRAINMEN'S REBUTTAL
The trainmen argued that the suspension
of the law virtually means the permanent
repeal of the act.
Joseph r. Gaffney, Of the law firm Of
Francis Skunk Brown and Alexander Simp-
son; w. y. Trinlilc, Of the law firm headed
by former Attorney General John g. Bell
W. n. Doak. vice president of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen; George B.
Rowand and Samuel 6, Turner. of the leGis-
lative committee OF the brothcrhoOds, rep
resented the trainmen.
The speakers for the bill were Alba r
Johnson, head of the Baldwin Locomotive
Works former Senator John :. Fisher
counsel for the New York Central lines w
!. Schaffcr of Chester counsel for the Penn
sYvania Railroad; Sam II. Barker Of
Philadelphia j. J. Mantell general superin-
tendent Of the Erie Railroad y. f. Dough-
erty. Of the Pennsylvania Railroad G. j.
Phillips, general superintendent of the Lack
awanna Railroad Paul w. Garrett secre-
tary of the New Jersey Chamber of Com
merce ; Frank j. Lanahan, of the Pitts
burgh Chamber OF Commerce, and Ernest
T.. Trgg, president Of the Philadelphia
Chamber Of Commerce,