South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-03

the roads In the face is only natural that ACCEPT
ance Of the responsibility by either OF the corpora
tons should require degree OF moral courage in
excess Of usually possessed by such institutions
We are inclined to the belief that the Michigan
Central in condemning its engnemen is first con-
cerned in generating itself Were possible TO shift
the responsibility 70 their shoulders there wouldn't
be any question. II know railroad corporations
Alright but that it would jail them for Hfe and We
say this too. without assuming for moment that
they ii any sense culpable Very doubtful, in
deed, If anything that led up the deraing Of the
Michigan Central train was designed We even have
doubts IL there any very gross negligence
anywhere. just OF those things that happen
every now and then. Accidents viii happen.
At that. the families-vives husbands children.
parents.-of those who were killed, and those who
were injured. TO be expected TO forego COM
pensation for the damage done them. That is
much a part OF railroads business-to insure
safety protection its patronsas it IS to draw
them over its rails Wise railroad managemente ex-
pect it-and the Michigan and New York Central
lines are about as wisely managed any. AS a rule
they maintain contingent funds out OF which such
damages are paid. We merely mention it in pass
ing throwing light the claims, denials,
cnerations etc. Of the railroads-in their maneuver
ing to effect settlements easily possible.
We will probably never see the time when rail
roads will be operated with such efficiency to rem
Ger accidents and wrecks IMPOSSIBLE. Rest assured
that no one feels it worse that this wreck took
place than the men who. if they still alive know
down deep in their own consciousness, that they
10 blame for it, It was horrible thing. Two score
Of souls hurled into eternity, quite in an instant;
their bodies mangled and torn. The next most hor
ribIe sight will be witness the performances of
the claim agents for the railroads jostlng, cajolins
brow beating bully Raging relatives Of the wrecks
victims to beat down the size of their monetary
demands.
And then too. there will be the ambulance
chasers on the of the relatives to get their
cases and hot on the trail Of the railroads. once
their retainers are secured. Ordinations and re-
ordinations will fly thick and fast and long the
itself will be quite forgotten, the contests
over the coin. The event itself will recede into
bone of contenton-and the big night when The
News-Times rushed half it's staff to Porter, to we
there with the scores of reporters from Chicago
and put all them-in getting the story to the
public, will measure up merely as a scene in the
passing show.
That is joke about The NewsTimes putting it
all over the Chicago papers in the handling of Po-
ter wreck We beat them to it and what happened
up to $3.50 o'clock in the morning was given to our
readers, in much detail, while the Chicago papers
coming to South Bend carried comparatively H.ne
save generalities In the afternoon Monday put
it all over them again Even the Associated Press
obtained its "tip" us that there had been a
wreck-just a little incident of newspaper enter
prise enerpr.sing as the railroad claim agents and
the ambulance chasers will be, even until the last
claim settled
Such are the exigencies of railroading-and news
paperdom.