Show S THE THE I D O E EA A succession ot of disastrous railroad wrecks has cu public attention on onI I the causes responsible for these disasters disasters and remedies for them The rhe investigation and prIvate which has followed show that the en entire tire transportation system of the coun conn country try is under such tremendous pressure that the human factors the men en engaged engaged In op the roads have al almost almost most reache the limit q physical en endurance endurance durance Some have been the result of sheer folly and in incapacity the disregard disregard gard of signals and blunders of ope opera operators ra tors such as are inevitable at any anytime anytime time In railroad dIspatching but the most of them have been due to an ef effort effort fort to handle more traffic than the equipment of the roads could safely take care of Even the most carefully managed roads with the best facilities obtainable have suffered equally with the roads of less perfect organization The truth isas every shipper knows that the pressure on the roads Js Is so terrIfic and InsIstent that no provisIons for s safety ety can suffice to prevent trouble On instance cited bya prominent local official In yesterdays Herald shows how great the traffic Is In twelve hours the HarrIman system dispatched out or Green River freIght trains When one considers the difficulty of operating In th th the number of pa passenger trains through and local the strain on train crews dispatchers and operating with the inevitable dangers of train service In wInter make about as grave a problem problem lem as an arm of over ever confronted The public delivery of shipments and possible ossi le pas passenger passenger trains delay in the arrival of goods means i sa to merchants and comin communities s nger ser servIce service vIce in these dayS of qUi it k transit would mean an outcry from ever every tray trav traveler eler ln in the country Under such condi conditions conditions a block signal system is a ques questionable questionable protection and on some roads has been n disadvantage because train crews crowded to the by traffic behind thorn them have taken chances on disregarding signals I and running by I even in of orders The situation confronting railroad management Is almost as difficult as the theold theold old mathematical calculation of the re result suit sult when an Irresistible force meets an Immovable body The public is hur hurr hurrying r ing alwa always s hurrying the movement of traffic the roads already have more than they can handle safely legislation Is limiting the demands that can be made on operating the wrecks give signal that somewhere somehow the pressure on human en endurance endurance durance ought to be lightened Doubtless the only Immediate rem remedy remedy edy is to let shippers suffer from delay in order that freight movements may maybe maybe be adjusted so the danger ot of operating r pressure can be abated The most exacting shipper win will recognize from the accidents that have happened the necessity for patience under the conditions and bear his share of the general inconvenience that the travel travelIng traveling Ing public may be protected That and the limitation of extra service to the lowest limIt ought to remedy the dim of operation somewhat until the better conditions of sprIng and summer weather enable the roads to clear their blockaded tracks and Improve service generally by addition of equipment and construction of I |