Salt Lake Tribune | 1915-02-02 | Page 3 | Trainmen's Status is Fixed by Court

TRAINMEN'S STATUS IS FIXED BY COURT Railroads Cannot Escape Liability When Men Are Worked More Than Legal Hours. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1. Three decisions further clarifying the federal statute of 1907 regulating the hours of railroad employes, were rendered here today by the United States circuit court of appeals. - In a case decided against the Northern North-ern Pacific railroad, the court held that being on duty is equivalent to continuous continu-ous employment. A Northern Pacific train crew was on duty more than sixteen six-teen hours, although part of that time it was idle, so tar as manual labor went, owing to a stop. Bad weather and washouts, the court held in the case of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake road, do not excuse ex-cuse tho company for working a crew more hours than the law allows, if there is opportunity in the course of the run to change crews. The decision implied that where the company is not in control con-trol of the situation, it cannot reasonably reason-ably be held liable. In another ease affecting the same road the lower court was reversed and the company absolved. A railroad telegraph tele-graph operator who worked more than tho nine hours allowed by the law, in order that he might relieve a sick man, was found to be included in the emergency provisions of the act.