The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-03
RAILROADS OBJECT
TO GULL CREW" BILL
Spirited F0ur=II0ur Hearing on Meas
ures Proposed by Brotherhood
of Trainmcn.

MONTPELIER, Feb. 3.-There was a
fouI-hOur hearing yesterday afternoon on
the four railroad bills presented by the
| Legislative board OF the Brotherhood Of
Halfway Iranmen. The men were repro
scented by counsel and their own commit
tee and the railroads were represented by
counsel and several wellknown officials.
BY far the greater portion of the time
was taken uD with a discussion of the
full crew bill, tH-9n, \. b. Lamphere
trainmcn. He claimed that the bill
would protect the travelling public and
the trainmcn and cited the increase in
the length of the trains as a reason for
an additional brakeman on long trains.
He was questioned by john w. Red
mOnd of st. Adams, j G. Sargent of I-ud-
low and Edwin W. Lawrence of Rutland
and at times the exchanges were hot and
heavy, especially on Mr.. Lampheres state
ment that the average length OF trains III
' ermont was So cars.
T. H Sumner of Bellows Falls described
tho duties of tTainmen at some length
and said the bill would relieve the train
men of some hardship and add to the
safety and ease of operation. l.. G. Cole
man OF Boston, assistant general manager
OF the Boston and Maine railroad said
the railroads were suffering from ovcr-rcg-
ulation. that full crews would cost the
B. & NJ. 100000 a year additional, where
as they were not now even earning their
fixed CHARGES. He showed that his COM
panv was already running three brakemen
or more on a large proportion OF Its trans
and would put on more whenever 1t was
G. /. r. French. general superintend-
ent of the Rutland railroad, declared
that the act would not promote the safety
of train operation, that 1t sometimes
made for divided responsibility. that 52I
per cent of the trains already had three
hrakemen. that it would cost the Rutland
road approximately 100000 and that for
the months of October. November and
December, they had not earned their fixed
charges.
w. F. Burke Of Rutland for the train
men explained that the law would nm
prove train operation in communicating
signals, inspecting trains at stops, setting
rntainers on grades and helping to double
in with long trains. Questioned by W
c. Kramer. Of the Rutland road he admit
ted that the tralnmens committee mad
never asked for an extra man without
getting it.
J. W. WardIaw. general manager Of the
Central Vermont road. testified that ltI
would cost them $l50.000 a year and that
they, too. were not at present ealnlng|
their fixed charges.
In regard to 1H-G6,) the headlight bill,
providing for train numbers to be dis
played on headlights, Mr.. Coleman SAID
the 3. & NJ had been using such numbers
for yealS, but were about to discard them,
49, the consensus of opIuiou was that
they were confusing and positively danger
Gus {. \ Miller, chairman OF the train
mems board. said the trainmen We're unan
imous i'm desiring such numbers to be dis
played for the sake Of safety.
This BROUGHT Mr.. Redmond to hIs feet.
He asked the committee how, if experts
disagreed ON such a subject, they expected
lcg;satue OF far""rS. merchants and
at her laVmcu to decide It,