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 STEEL CAK BILLS PENDING IN CONGRESS 



Hardwood Record has received nothing bnt commendatory letters 

 of the thesis it has published iu the last two issues showing the 

 superior qualities of wooden passenger cars on steel underframes, as 

 compared with the ultra-modern tj-pe of steel cars. These encomiums 

 come not only from hardwood producers, who naturally would bo 

 prejudiced in a desire to have the use of wood eontimied in car 

 construction, but also from many prominent railroad officials and car 

 builders. One notable car builder advises that while he has a 

 million dollars invested in a plant especially for the building of 

 steel cars, he cannot consistently comnioiid them, and deprecates their 

 further building. 



Undeniably this steel car construction is a fad, and' is inspired on 

 the one hand by well meaning persons in an attempt to secure 

 greater safety for passengers, and on the other hand by the pro- 

 ducers of steel to secure increased consumption of the materials pro- 

 duced by them. 



Notwithstanding a broadcast invitation made not only by Hard- 

 wood Eecord, but through the scores of daily newspapers and mag- 

 azines that have reproduced the previously published articles on this 

 subject, stating that this paper would be glad to publish any and 

 all arguments in far or of superior elements of safety, efficiency, 

 healthfulness and comfort of steel cars over those built of wood, 

 there has not been a single argument thus far presented in their 

 favor. 



The public should bear iu mind that certain congressmen, pos- 

 sibly inspired by a desire to insure greater safety to the travel- 

 ing public, are the authors of sundry steel car bills that are now 

 pending in Congress. Attached hereto these measures are reprinted. 

 Every one of them have objectionable features, and it is up to in- 

 dividual hardwood lumbermen and hardwood lumber associations, and 

 everyone else interested in securing the maintenance of the best 

 type of railroad passenger equipment possible, that every effort 

 should be made to defeat them. 



H. E. 5291 

 On April 15, 1911, in the House of Eepresentatives, Congressman 

 Eseii introduced the following bill which was referred to the Com- 

 mittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and ordered to be printed : 

 A bill to promote the safety of travelers on railroads by compelling com- 

 mon carriers engaged in interstate commerce to strengthen the con- 

 struction of day or passenger coacbes. mall cars, chair, smoking and 

 combination cars and tourist sleepers, and for other purposes. 

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Hepreseutatives of the t'nited 

 States of America in Congress assembled : That from and after the first 

 day of January, nineteen hundred and twelve, it shall be unlawful for 

 any common carrier engaged in interstate commerce by railroad to con- 

 struct and put in use for the first time after said date, and to use and 

 operate upon its line any day or passenger coach, mail car, chair, smoking 

 or combination car or tourist sleeper for purposes of interstate passenger 

 traffic, the construction of which shall not conform to a standard, of 

 which the following specification shall be deemed essential parts : 



a. A strong, heavy underframe, with end and side sills of steel or 

 other metal, and with not less than tour girders or sleepers of steel or 

 other metal running the entire length of said underframe, including end 

 platforms, and firmly fastened or bolted to the butter beams at each end 

 of the car ; said side sills and girders or sleepers to be firmly framed and 

 fastened together with the necessary bolts, tie-rods, plates and angle iron 

 and covered with a steel floor of one-fourth inch plates : Provided, That 

 thereby no obstruction be made to the proper attachment and operation 

 of suitable air or automatic brakes and automatic couplers already re- 

 quired by law. 



b. A vertical vestibule frame of steel or other metal securely built upon 

 the end platforms of said cars after the manner of construction now em- 

 ployed in the vestibule construction of improved modern sleeping cars. 



c. A superstructure whose side and framework shall consist of suitable 

 standards or vertical posts of steel or other metal securely built upon the 

 side and end sills and fastened to one another by suitable metallic cross- 

 ties and diagonal braces, allowing spaces for windows and doors. The 

 car roof to be supported by suitable rafters of steel or other metal suit- 

 ably curved and fastened by means of arched bars or plates to the tops 

 of said vertical standards or posts. 



Sec. 2. That prior to the expiration of the said first day of January, 

 nineteen hundred and twelve, the American Railway Association is au- 

 thorized hereby to designate to the Interstate Commerce Commission 



models or standards for the classes of cars affected by this act on both 

 narrow and standard gauge lines constructed upon the specifications set 

 forth in section one of this act ; said models to be complete in detail, 

 due regard being had to weight, strength of materials, and resisting power 

 in case of eoUision. Upon their determination as to such models or 

 standards being certified to the Interstate Commerce Commission, said 

 commission shall at once give notice of the standards or models fixed 

 upon to all common rarriers. owners or lessees engaged in interstate 

 passenger traffic in the United States- by sueh means as the commission 

 may deem proper. But should said association fail to determine such 

 models or standards as above provided, it shall be the duty of the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission to do so before the first day of January, 

 nineteen hundred and twelve, and immediately give notice thereof as 

 aforesaid. After the first day of January, nineteen hundred and eighteen, 

 no day or passenger coaches, mail cars, chair, smoking or combination 

 cars or tourist sleepers shall be used and operated in interstate traffic 

 which do not comply with the standards or models above provided for. 



See. 3. That for the purpose of securing the design of said models or 

 standards above provided for, whether bj- said American Railway Asso- 

 ciation or by said Interstate Commerce Commission, the sum of five 

 thousand dollars is hereby appropriated out of any money in the treasury 

 of the United States, not otherwise appropriated. 



Sec. 4. That any such common carrier engaged in interstate passen- 

 ger traffic, constructing and putting in use for the first time after said 

 first day of January, nineteen hundred and twelve, and using and operat- 

 ing the same, and permitting the same to be used and operated on its 

 line, any car not conforming to the standard or model prescribed Ijy this 

 act, and any such common carrier using any cars after the said first day 

 of January, nineteen hundred and eighteen, of the class and character 

 affected by this act, which do not conform to the model hereinbefore 

 prescribed, shall be liable to a penalty<of one thousand dollars for each 

 and every such violation, to be recovered in a suit or suits brought by 

 the United States district attorney in a United States district court hav- 

 ing jurisdiction in the locality where such violation shall have been 

 committed, and it shall be the duty of such district attorney to bring 

 such suits upon duly verified information being lodged with him of such 

 violation haviug occurred ; and it shall also be the duty of the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission to lodge with the proper United States district 

 attorney any such violation as may come to its knowledge : Provided. 

 That nothing in this act contained shall apply to electric car lines or 

 street car lines engaged in interstate passenger traffic. 



Sec. 5. That the Interstate Commerce Commission may from time 

 to time, upon full hearing and for good cause, extend the period within 

 which any common carrier shall comply with the provisions of this act. 



H. K. 11822 



On June 17, 1911, in the House of Representatives, Congressman 

 Talcott of New York, introduced the following bill which was re- 

 ferred to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and 

 ox-dcred to be printed: 

 A bill to promote the safety of passengers upon railroads by compelling 



common carriers engaged in interstate commerce to use cars constructed 



of steel, and for other purposes. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled : That from and after the first 

 day of January, nineteen hundred and fifteen, it shall be unlawful for 

 any common carrier engaged in interstate commerce to use on its line 

 for the interstate transportation of passengers any car not constructed 

 of steel upon a plan approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission. 



Sec. 2. That after January first, nineteen hundred and fifteen, any 

 person, firm, company or corporation engaged in interstate commerce by 

 railroad shall refuse from connecting' lines of road any car used for the 

 interstate transportation of passengers not constructed in accordance 

 with the provisions of the first section of this act. 



Sec. 3. That any such common carrier using on its line for the inter- 

 state transportation of passengers any car in violation of any of tbe 

 provisions of this act shall be liable to a penalty of one thousand dollars 

 for each and every such violation, to be recovered in a .suit or suits to 

 be brought by the United States district attorney in the district court of 

 the United States having jurisdiction in the locality where such violation 

 shall have been committed ; and it shall be the duty of such district attor- 

 new to bring such suits upon duly verified information of such violation 

 being lodged with him : and it shall be the duty of the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission to lodge with the proper district attorneys informa- 

 tion of any such violations as may come to its knowledge. 



Sec. 4. That the Interstate Commerce Commission may from time to 

 time, upon full hearing and for good cause, extend the period within 

 which any common carrier shall comply with the provisions of this act. 



H. K. 12416 

 On July 12, 1911, in the House of Representatives, Congressman 

 Talcott introduced the following bill, which was referred to the 



