Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-10-11
Lewis w. Baldwin Ardent
Advocate of Safety First

looking to the restraint of reckless
! persons.
1t is claimed, however that hard
ship is worked on the railroads at
present on account of old state and
municipal laws, which throw too
much of the burden of responsibility
upon the railroad and not enough on
the highway traveller
The old Georgia law, passed in
1851, says ''the engineer shall be re-
quired to blow the whistle of the loco
motive until it arrives at the public
road, and to simultaneously check and
keep checking the speed thereof, so as
to stop in time should any person or
thing be crossing said track on said
road"
This law is still upon our statute
books and in connection with a suit
several years ago involving this point
a justice of the supreme court of
Georgia said: eve agree with the
learned counsel that this law which
requires trains to check and keep
checking when approaching crossings
is hard one and that it is impossible
for the railroads of the country to
transact the business of the country
and obey it. 1t was passed about fifty
years ago, before the people appre
ciated the necessity Of rapid transit
in travel and in freight. If the law
were duly obeyed by the locomotive
engineers, l am informed it would
take twelve hours or more to run u
passenger train from Atlanta to Ma
con, distance Of about 100 miles.
Still, it is the law of the land and the
courts must enforce it, however hardly
it may work upon the business inter
ests of the country if it should be OBJ
served, or upon the railways when
they violate it."
The state law referred to gives to
cities and towns the right to regulate
the blowing of whistles within corpor-
ate limits, and as a result there may
not be uniformity of regulation in this
regard. AS an example may be cited
the ordinances Of the town of Hape-
Vile, Ca, in which there is the fci
lowing enactment: s'Tt shall be I'M
lawful for any railroad company or
engineman or fireman or other per-
sons employed on any train or engine
to sound or blow the whistle of the
locomotive OF any such engine or train
at any time or place within the cor.
porate limits of the city of Hapeville. ="
In obeying this ordinance the ends
of safety are sadly defeated, accord
ing to the railway company, as the
engineer is prohibited from blowing
for crossing, or for a semaphore
He is not allowed 10 answer a signal
or blow out or call in a flagman On
its face, it even prohibits blowing an
alarm whistle, when danger of injury
at a railroad crossing seems imminent
Vice President and General Man
ager Baldwin's belief is. that one day
not Tar distant the people of the state
and of the several municipalities in
it will be so far awakened to the
grave responsibility that rests with
them as citizens and law makers, that
they will revise our statutes so as to
take care Of the situation brought
about by the increased use of motor
cars and the present large demand on
the railways for efficient service. And
that In doing SO they will work won.
ders in bringing about a fruition OF
his dream off, time when there shall
be no accident reports, no widows OF
orphans, chargeable to the menace OF
railroad crossings.