Page:The truth about the railroads (IA truthaboutrailro00elli).pdf/269

Rh tion of railroads. These proposed bills related to hours of service, terms of employment, the kind of uniforms to be worn and other matters affecting employees, compulsory and voluntary arbitration, train rules, regulations for the operation of freight- and passenger-trains, equipment, car-supply, claims, signals, clearances, crossings, maintenance of tracks, and many details to which it would be supposed that the long experience and extensive knowledge of railroad managers under the varying conditions of business would be a better guide than the judgment of a legislative body, no matter how excellent its intentions.

Legislation that is a response to a real public opinion should not be objected to by any conscientious citizen. Such laws, backed by the will of the people, will be enforced. But the deluge of new laws that is dumped upon the country has the effect of weakening respect for the law, because too many laws prove unwise in practice, and are not enforced, with the result that too many people grow up with a lack of respect for law and order and do not Rh