Show I Editorials by C. C C. C Goodwin I Deaths on R Railroads When we hear of accidents on railroads through which people are killed or r maimed th the first fht thousands is that it must have come through carelessness or incompetency tency On its its' face this thought is ut unfair air for the cost that is the money cost is all upon the railroad c companies The number of d deaths on railroads and the causes during the past twenty three years have been compiled from the railroad records of the United States as set forth in the following table Killed Per Cent Trespassers Employees through their own fault or mischance mischance mischance mis mis- chance 25 7 Other persons through their own fault or i mischance 0 4 8 95 95 Employees in fn accident to trains 71 Passengers own fault or mischance 22 Passengers as in accidents to trains 2 1 17 7 S 1000 f That is an appalling list It will be seen that of oft the whole oJ only Y 71 t per eI cent of the employees and only 17 per cent of passengers gers ers were unavoidably killed More than half per cent were tramps stealing rides per cent were employees whose deaths were due to carelessness It ben been cn during the time tinie that trains h have ve been changed from fron light to he heavy vy ones and it jt has been impossible to complete improvements on roadbeds to meet the change The ordinary passenger passenger passenger pas pas- car has been giving givin-g wa way to the heavy Pullman this is isnow isnow now being replaced by the steel passenger coach In Iii this the roads have r received little help from froIT state stat legislatures State or nation has done little litH to help the roads while th their ir expendi expenditures ur to to- to increase the safety of employees and passengers have been unparalleled F For r instance the Union Pacific Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- alone pays out annually merely to maintain its automatic block signal system the installing of it ft costing millions millions mil mu lions Th The railroads are essential to the the progress of the country they are the very very life of the cities and the feeling ought t to be on the part o of legislatures What can we do to help make railroads railroads railroads rail rail- roads less dangerous and more effective 5 The tramp nuisance could be killed were there ther laws law compelling compelling compel compel- l ling ng their being put to work for thirty days whenever taken in If that was the rule everywhere the tramp would have no incentive incentive tive to steal a ride to the next town If w we had a copy df of the expenditures being made monthly by bythe bythe the roads to improve their tracks and aud to purchase safer coaches I Ii i it would astound the country To do this vast vat sums have to be borrowed The people and the lawm lawmakers kers should not stand in inthe inthe I the door to hurt the credit of the roads I There is a commission to stop any wrong the roads may seek t. t to commit and that being assured then considering what the thero ro roads ds are and always must be to the country the thought should ith be to e.-to to help and not tear them down |