OCR Text |
Show I . RAILROAD ACCIDENTS REDUCED . i : In no respect have the railroads of the United States made greater progress prog-ress than in the prevention of injuries. : to employfes. I j Reports of the Interstate Commerce ; Commission show that in road freight service which represents the most j rugged type of service, there has been J a gratifying progressive reduction in both fatalities and injuries per 1,-J 1,-J 000 men employed for each succeeding year than for the last nine years. ( For example) in 1918, when the railroads were controlled and operated operat-ed by. the government, there. was an average of 169,819 employes in road freight service, of whom 847 were killed and 23,023 injured, or a rate per 1,000 employes of 4.99. killed and 135.57injured. In 1921, under private control and operation, ' there was an average of 137,852; employes, of whom 302 were killed and 13,128 injured, or a rate of 2.19 killed and 95.23 injured, a reduction re-duction compared with .1918. of 56 per cent in the rate killed and of nearly 30 per cent injured. - ' c . Still greater progress in accident prevention is shown for 1925.' In 1925, the average number envpjoyed in road freight ervice was 148,267, the numher killed per 1,000, was 1.9 and injured 82.47, a reduction in the killed compared with 1921 of 10 per cent and in the injured of 13 per cent; and a reduction, in killed com;-, pared' with 1918 of over "60 per cent and in injured of about 31 per cent.-These cent.-These results not 'only thoroughly explode and disprove the claims of promoters of train limit legislation, that hazard of accident-increases as trains are made longer, for . trains, were, longer in 1,921. than in 1918 and longer in 1925 than in 1921, yet as they'be'eame longer accidents to trainmen' train-men' became less; but' make it' clear that accidents ; are mainly caused by carelessness' regardless "'"Df" length of train,' arid" that the' 'remedy 'is competent' compet-ent' supervision-'and systematic safety, work rather than, train Jinjit laws, for, shorter trains would mean more trains, more expense to shippers and more liklihood vef-'. accidents. . '. it'". |