Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 277, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1910 — FOR SAFETY ON RAILROADS [ARTICLE]

FOR SAFETY ON RAILROADS

Commerce Commission Orders Uniform Equipment at Enormous Cost to the Lines. Uniform standards for the equipment of railroad cars and locomotives with safety appliances were prescribed by an order Issued by the interstate commerce commission. The order is the result of a long continued agitation for uniformity. All the appliances covered by the commission’s order are now used, except that two additional ladders are required on certain classes of cars and two additional sill steps are required on all. Although the railroads contended that the changes would immediately cost approximately $50,000,000, the commission is of opinion that “compliance with the order will not cause any undue expense to the railroads, as the order applies entirely to new equipment and is immediately effective only with respect to new cars.” Sufllcient time will be granted to the railroads properly to equip their old • cars with the new standards. Edward A. Moseley, secretary of the commission, who has devoted nearly a third of a century to the work of obtaining these standards and to securing the enactment by congress of safety appliance and employers’ liability legislation, collapsed from an attack of heart disease on the day the agreement as to the Standards was reached. His condition is regarded as serious, and he may never be able to resume active work.