Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-05-18

Daily newspapers are giving the
public no information concerning a
most important probe ~ hard boiled
railroads. now being conducted BY the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
The people have right to know the
facts. Fer that reason The following
article, specially written tor the Re.
view, has been prepared BY Clint e,
Hous,ons
Washington, -- Locomotive "a0a'i
Of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. which
broke down ~ times in 3 months and
then ended It's "lawless" career BY
sendinR its engineer and flremen 10
their deaths on April q, at Duryaa,
Pa, Is held up by the Interstate Com.
merce Commission as a shining exam.
Pile of how some carriers are opetat.
ing since the shopmen'S strike.
Under searching investigation by
the |. c. c., Government inspector
who testified under oath. brought for.
ward evidence not only indictinw the
lehiRh management with Wholesale
violations OF the law governing safety
Of equipment but also furnishing con
vincing Evidence that operating with
stfikehfeakefs has put the road on the
brink of bankruptcy.
The lehigh was the hrst of bl rail-.
roads the |. c. c. will place upon the
dissecting table, Included In the mum.
hef are practically all OF the "die
hard railroads which have refused to
make settlement with striking em-
ployes.
In conducting lis first public Off
eial inquiry into the condition Of
equipment since the strike, che !, G. G,
Is acting under provisoins Of the
Transportation Act which declares
that carriers must show efficiency
and economy" In operation 10 entitle
them 10 adequate returns aud rates
based ON the valuation Of their prop.
critics, Whether all the railroads like
il on not the ]. g. G. has ordered
them TO spread out their entire rec.
ords for examination by May 20.
Inquiry into the explosion OF the
boiler Of Locomotive "I0b,' which
Commissioner Potter declared has an
important bearing oa the condition Of
the Lehieh's equipment. revealed
that the engine had been operating
"for some time IN violations Of the
rules" Inspector John L. Rogers
testified that broken ataybelts secur-
ing the heller plats ca which The ex-
plosion was traced, had been reported
before the accident by the engineer
who later lost his life, but had been
allowed TO 20 unfepaired. The ex-
plosiQn, he testified, was due 10 i'm.
proper repairs and inspection,
An alarming incfeasce In the num-
Der OF accidents since the strike, leaw
ing behind them trail Of deah and
MANNED bodies, was revealed by the
testimony Of the Government inspec-
tors who refused at all times 60 be
.bfowbeaten' into fctfaetions by the
the month strike breakers went To-
work, down OF March 81, 1928, total
of 20 accidents due 10 defective ap-
purtonances, resulted in deaths and
33 injuries. During the full year
ending June 30. 1929, under union
operation, only seven accidents had
been reported, causing no deaths and
seven injuries.
Further inquiry brought out the
damaging evidence that not only had
the management knowingly sent de.
feetive locomotives 10 work but had
sought, through a Juggling Of sworn
official reports TO the |. G. G. TO cover
40 the real condition Of It's equipment
menacing 20 public safety.
Out of 30 particular cases OF en-
gines 20. KID" by the Lehigh man
agement, re-inspectiOn by Government
inspectors found G3 defective and OF
that number 90 were ordered out Of
service. Twenty-four Of these en-.
gines had not been reported on at all,
at Is to be hoped" said the In.
spectors' report, shat the railroad
reports Of monthly inspections showed
these locomotives In each case to be
in good condition"
One engine had 26 defects in i,
In number Of cases IL was brought
out that locomotives ordered out
of service had beer returned and at
taehed 10 trains without being re-
paired as ordered.
Ninety-fvc locomotives were or
dered out Of service during the three
months ending March 81, 1923, com.
pared with only ~ for the cores
ponding months In 1922 before the
strike. or the engines inspected dur
ing the first quarter Of 1922, a per
dentage Of 37.9 were found defective.
This rate had jumped 10 TAI percent
for the quarter ending March 81,
1923.
The financial condition Of the road
was disclosed 70 be IN a condition
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