The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-10-21
NATIONAL RAILROAD
DRIVE FOR SAFETY

at midnight, October is, and until
midnight. October 81" said X. j.
Clancy. assistant to general manager
of the Southern Pacific, approx
mately 1,750,00O railroad officers and
employees on the 1877 railroads OF the
limited States under federal control
will set in action the national rail-
road accident prevention drive, which
messages the greatest concerted
movement for the prevention of acct
dents and conservation of industrial
man power ever undertaken.
Participating in this drive and
competing with each other will be
the V regions comprising the
lines under federal control and rep
resenting a total of 22S,571 miles of
road. The safety section of the
United States railroad administration
has undertaken this move because of
numerous accidents attending railway
operation, with the belief that a very
substantial reduction may be effected
in the number of avoidable accidents
occurring. This plan has been tried
out in several of the regions, result
ing in a reduction of more than 20
per cent in the number of accidents
compared with corresponding period
of the previous year, and it is now
intended to try it out on all the roads
under federal control.
THE necessity for conducting safe
ty work on a broad and comprehen-
sive scale and the humane and eco
nomic value of such work are alike
best expressed by the number of
accidents still occurring and the de-
crease that has been effected by Off
Gals and employees cooperating
through the safety organization.
During the first six months of 1919
casualties to employees on the rail-
roads of the United States under Fed
eral control numbered approximately
$1,000, compared with $4,000 for the
corresponding period of 1918. a de-
crease in 1919, as compared with 1918.
Of 10000. or Isl per cent.
During the first six months of 1919.
compared with the corresponding pc
Rod in 1918, the Southern Pacific beat
its own previous record by making a
reduction of 313 in accidents report
able to the interstate commerce COM
mission.
"The primary object and purposes
of the safety organization and of the
impending national drive is to prevent
accidents through the education OF
employees and the elimination of haz-
ardous conditions and practices. 1t
is largely a problem of education of
employees for safe practices on the one
hand combined with education of off,
Gals for the correction of hazardous
conditions and more efficient super
vision On the other. One is just as
%essention as the other, for reports
indicate that most accidents result
from carelessness and most careless
ness from inefficient supervision.
"The saftey organization of the
roads under federal control repre-
sents more than 1000 committees with
a membership of more than $4,000
officers and employees. Manager A. F
Duffy of the safety section, a mar of
long experience, is the central figure
in this organization. Each of the
seven regions maintains a regional
organization and each of the 1877 roads
under federal control maintains an
organization with committees COM
posed of officials and employees who
are specifically required to give the
matter of accident prevention and
safe operation special attention.
Splendid results have been
achieved and it is confidently antici-
pated that the forthcoming national
drive will set the highest mark in
accident prevention in the history of
railway operation"