Chicago &. N. W. Ry. Co. v. Railroad & Warehouse Commission

280 F. 387, 1922 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 819
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedMay 15, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 280 F. 387 (Chicago &. N. W. Ry. Co. v. Railroad & Warehouse Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago &. N. W. Ry. Co. v. Railroad & Warehouse Commission, 280 F. 387, 1922 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 819 (mnd 1922).

Opinion

BOOTH, District Judge

(after stating the facts as above). The statute in question reads as follows:

“Chapter 514 — H. B. No. 143.
“An act requiring railroads, car shops and other concerns manufacturing or repairing ears, car trucks, and other equipment used as conveyances by rail, for either freight or passengers, and other equipment used in repair work or otherwise, and operated by railroad companies, to provide buildings that will! protect their employés from heat, rain, cold, snow, and other inclement weather.
“Be it enacted by -the Legislature of the State of Minnesota:
“Section 1. Buildings for Employés. — That every person, firm,'copartnership, corporation, or receiver thereof, engaged' in the construction or repairing of railroad cars, ear trucks, or other equipment used for conveyance by rail, shall erect and maintain a building or buildings at every station or point ^vhere there are as many as six (6) men employed at one time for a period of not less than thirty (30) days, on the work of construction or repairing of such cars, car trucks, or other such equipment; the building or buildings to cover a sufficient portion of the repairing or construction company’s yards or tracks so that all employés engaged in such work shall be protected from heat, rain, cold, snow, or other inclement weather, while working at such work.
“Sec. 2. Application. — The provisions of this act shall not apply to the repairing of conveyances while the same are en route as part of a train; nor shall it apply to cars loaded with live stock or perishable freight, where trains are being held for the movement of” said cars.”

[391]*391Section 3 of chapter 514, General Raws 1919, as amended by chapter 481, Session Raws 1921:

“Sec. 3. Specifications. All buildings to be erected hereunder shall substantially comply with the following specifications:
“In buildings that covet* more than one track the distance between the inside rails of each track shall not be less than twelve lineal feet. Between the walls of the building and the outside rails there shall be a distance of ten lineal feet, except that where buildings have been constructed prior to January 1, 1931, the distance between the walls thereof and the outside rails shall not be less than seven and one-half feet. The building or buildings shall not be less than twenty feet high at the eaves. Each building shall be enclosed from roof to ground and shall have glass windows on each side ■with a space of not to exceed twelve feet apart. The side windows shall not be less tiian nine feet high, and not less than four feet wide. Windows shall be in three sections and sections shall be provided with pivoted or sliding sash. The buildings shall be equipped with side and end doors. The end track doors shall be not less than six feet wide and sixteen feet high, and there shall be two such doors for each repair track covered by the building. Side doors shall be provided for each side of building. The size of said doors shall be great enough to allow the convenient handling of the larger materials required to be taken into said building. The roof shall be provided with a cupola the entire length of the building, and be equipped with side windows of not less tiian three feet in width and six l’eet in height, having pivot and opening device that shall be at all times operative. One cupola or monitor shall be provided for each building that contains not to exceed four repair tracks. For buildings inclosing more than four tracks, skylights shall be provided to insure adequate light over each car, that men are required to work on. In lieu of above cupola, monitors and skylights, sawtooth roof construction may be used or monitors crosswise of the buildings to provide adequate light and ventilation. The buildings shall he equipped with necessary heating facilities, and shall at all times have drainage that will keep them in clean and sanitary condition. They shall be equipped with sanitary drinking fountains where clean wholesome drinking water can be obtained. A sufficient number of sanitary lavatories shall be provided for said employés and sanitary toilets shall be provided and kept properly dean, ventilated and free from odor, as required by chapter 491 of the General Laws of .1919, sections 9, 10, 11, and 12. All scaffolding used in such buildings shall be made of clear lumber free of all knots, and shall be kept in first-class condition at all times. The use of paint spraying machines shall not be permitted inside such buildings. It shall be the duty of the Railroad and Warehouse Commission to determine as soon as practicable what portion of the repair or construction tracks of each railroad in the state it shall be necessary to cover with such building or buildings in order to comply with section one hereof, and said commission shall thereupon make an order as to each railroad in the state specifying the size of the building or buildings necessary at each location whore such repair or construction work is carried on, and it shall thereupon be the duty of each railroad company to forthwith erect such buildings and have ail the same ready for occupancy not later than September 1, 1922. The Railroad and Warehouse Commission may, upon application m.ade, after a thorough investigation, permit any person, firm or corporation subject to the provisions of this act, to deviate from the specifications and requirements hereinbefore provided for, when, in the judgment of said commission, a strict compliance with the provisions herein would be impracticable or unnecessary. Provided, that any employs'' who while engaged in the performance of his duty is required or permitted to ride on the top or side of a car in putting the car or cars into or taking them out of any such building, may be injured or killed by reason of any structure or obstruction or any part or portion of said building having been placed or built in closer proximity to the tracks upon which said cars are being moved, than eight feet from the center of said tracks or twenty-one feet from the tops of the rails thereof, shall not be deemed to have assumed the risk thereby occasioned or to have been [392]*392guilty of contributory negligence, although such ■ employs continued in the employ of the person, firm or corporation using said tracks, after the location of such obstruction or portion of said building shall have been brought to his knowledge and .the exercise of permission from the Railroad and Warehouse Commission as provided for herein, shall be at the sole risk of the employer and owner of said building.
“See. 4. Employés Not Required to Worlo in Rain, Seat, Void or Snow. — > Where any such buildings are maintained, it shall be unlawful for any employer to require men so employed to work outside of such buildings in rain, heat, cold, snow; or other inclement weather.
“Sec. 5. Violation a Misdemeanor.

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Bluebook (online)
280 F. 387, 1922 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 819, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-n-w-ry-co-v-railroad-warehouse-commission-mnd-1922.