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Select Subcommittee on Labor of the House of Representatives H.R. 14816, which has as its purpose the extension of Federal authority in the employee health and industrial safety areas. Our bill has a different focus.

CLOSING COMMENT

In proposing this new legislation to the Congress, Secretary Boyd has pointed out that

*** the Department does not suggest that the railroad industry is insensitive to its responsibility for safe operations. As with other transportation modes, however, cost and competitive pressures can frequently work at cross-purposes to safety. The cost of greater safety will be borne reluctantly unless it is a burden which falls evenly on each member of the industry. Uniform Federal regulation is the only way the industry can be assured of this.

Those of us who have been associated with the rail industry need not be reminded of the hazards in railroad operations. We can all remember the fellow workers who lost their lives on the job. While we can argue endlessly about rail safety statistics, a simple truth stands out from them: Moving railroad equipment is dangerous.

There is much more to be accomplished in rail safety. The record has not improved. The railroad industry has yet to come completely to grips with its safety problem.

At the same time, we are aware of the possible adverse impact which carelessly drawn or enforced safety regulations can have upon our common carrier railroad industry. We are aware that the railroadswhich are the backbone of our freight transportation system-have suffered from a record of unstable earnings and have not shared significantly in the recent growth of the economy. This has undoubtedly had its impact on railroad safety.

So we are aware that even as we propose this step forward in the safety of railroad operations, we at the Department of Transportation have a long job ahead of us in finding and recommending to the Congress ways in which to assure that the railroad industry will be able to remain financially viable and thus be able to realize its full potential for service to the public.

We are not proposing a punitive program of railroad safety regulation. Our intention, rather, is to build a system of regulations and a program of enforcement-a program which will include very importantly the assistance of a maximum number of State governmentsthat can improve the overall efficiency of our railroad system as it improves its safety performance. Our role here is more that of an "outside auditor" working in cooperation with the railroad industry than that of a policeman engaged in the mere pursuit of wrongdoers. We think, moreover, that the record of accomplishment in those areas wherein we already regulate the safety of operations speaks for itself.

Mr. Chairman, that completes my statement on this legislation. With your permission, I should like to ask that the statistical attachments to this statement be made part of the record.

I shall, of course, be most happy to answer any questions which you or the members of your committee may have.

The CHAIRMAN. The charts and statistical attachments will be made. a part of the record.

(The documents referred to are as follows:)

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ATTACHMENT A-3-TRAIN ACCIDENTS, ADJUSTED AS TO AAR COST INDEX

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ATTACHMENT A-4-ADJUSTED TRAIN ACCIDENTS, RELATED TO TRAIN AND CAR MILES AND GROSS TON MILES

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1961

Killed

Class of employee

ATTACHMENT C-1-EMPLOYEE CASUALTY RATE PER MILLION MAN-HOURS WORKED, 1961-66

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III. Maintenance of way and structures.

0.21

10.76

0.25

10.51

0.17

10.64

0.29

11.85

0.22

10.76

0.18

10.76

IV. Maintenance of equipment and stores.

.06

9.63

.06

9. 19

09

9.57

06

10.04

.07

8. 85

.08

9.48

V. Transportation (other than train engine and yard employees). VI(a). Transportation (yardmasters, switchtenders, and hostlers)........ VI(b). Transportation (train and engine service).

02

9.64

.04

9.67

.02

9.12

04

9.01

.04

8.97

.03

7.56

.04

9.07

00

9.32

.12

10.05

.08

9.40

04

8.91

04

9.17

.15

25.09

25

23.92

.21

24.60

.20

25.93

23

25.97

22

25.60

All employees..

.09

11.89

.12

11.58

.11

11.92

.12

12.50

12

11.98

.11

11.93

Total man-hours (thousands).

1,453, 411

1,429, 884

1,398, 535

1,385, 202

1,319, 580

1,294, 926

ATTACHMENT C-2-EMPLOYEE CASUALTIES BY EMPLOYMENT AND RELATED TO OPERATING FACTORS, 1961-67

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