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Whybring this up now?JUST at the time when business and industry are emerging from the depression . . . when re-employment by the railroads, industries, farms and business of Pennsylvania shows that recovery is on the way .. . two bills are before the Pennsylvania Legislature which threaten a disastrous blow at the hopeful forces that are working toward better times.These are (1) *he so-called Full Crew” bill, in reality an Excess Crew bill, which arbitrarily adds men to train crews where they are not needed, and (2) the Train Limit bill which would reduce the length of trains to sizes uneconomic and wasteful under modern railroad practice.These proposals are disguised as safety measures. As a matter of fact, readily provable, they will not advance railroad safety. Statistics show that during the past ten years, as trains have been lengthened, speeds increased, and modern motive power and equipment introduced, railroad operation has become progressively safer.Under the excess crew bill an additional brakeman would ride in the caboose of a freight train along with the conductor and rear brakeman. He would have nothing to do. Such an excess man is no more necessary than an extra operator on an elevator, or an extra man behind a plow.The Train Limit” bill would increase the number of trains now operating and it is easy enough to see that this would add to rather than decrease the possibility of employee hazards. To limit the size of freight trains would automatically scrap equipment designed and built for efficient and economical distribution of the products of Pennsylvania’s mines, farms and shops. It would nullify the great advances in operating methods which have developed an improved service to meet the public needs in a highly competitive field. It would set railroad transportation back 20 years.Naturally, should the two bills become law, the immediate effect will be an increase in train service employment. But sooner or later they are bound to cause reduced employment in all branches of railroad service as well as in other industries throughout the state. Any temporary benefit would be within a limited group—train service employees—already preferred as to wages, hours, and working conditions.At feast 80% of all railroad workers would receive no benefit at all. On the contrary many of them would suffer loss or curtailment of employment. Such laws are class legislation and unfair.The enactment of this legislation would mean an estimated additional cost of 871,600,000 annually to the railroads of Pennsylvania . . . cost which inevitably would be reflected in higher rates. Such basic industries as coal and steel would be seriously affected by any unjustifiable freight rate increase on raw materials and finished products. This would be true also of all other industries. Increased transportation cost would tend to encourage certain industries to move to other states. The disastrous effect of such migration and readjustment would be felt by every citizen of the state.What a blow' this would be to the millions of people and families of Pennsylvania dependent on the railroads directly and indirectly for livelihood! The railroads buy millions of dollars of material and supplies for current operations. The purchases from farmers and merchants of the 116,000 railroad wage earners and their families in Pennsylvania amount to millions of dollars annually.Experience has proved the wisdom of lodging with a competent state body the necessary discretion to regulate the adequacy of train crews and other features of railroad operation. Since 1921 the Public Service Commission of Pennsylvania lias had jurisdiction over such matters. In addition, the railroads, fully realizing their responsibility to employees and public, exercise the highest degree of care both in the movement of trains and in the maintenance of equipment and property. Every humane and economic consideration dictates the use of the greatest prudence in operation without statutory requirements.RECOVERY IS ON THE WAY — LET’S NOT STOP IT!Let's keep the track clear oj unwise and ill-considered legislation which would discourage the initiative and destroy the progress that have put the railroads, the people and industries of Pennsylvania in the vanguard of the march toward better times.Associated Railroads of PennsylvaniaBaltimore Si Ohio Railroad Co.Bessemer Si Lake Frie Railroad Co. Central Railroad Co. of New Jersey Delaware it Hudson Railroad Corporation trie RailroadHuntingdon Broad Top Mountain Railroad Lehigh New England Railroad Lehigh Valley Railroad New York Central Railroad Co.New York, Ontario Western RailwayPennsylranla RailroadPittsburgh Lake Erie RailroadPittsburgh, Shawmut Northern Railroad Co.Reading CompanyWestern Maryland Railway Co.
Newspaper Details
Lititz Record
Lititz, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Jan 28, 1937
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Frederick C.
MD, USA 12 Mar 2025
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