INDIANAPOLIS JOINT UNION MEETING

-POLITICAL ACTION URGED.

On Sunday, November 24, '07, one of the largest and most enthusiastic meetings that has ever assembled under the auspices of the railway labor organizations, was heid in Indianapolis. The meeting was arranged for jointly by the O. R. C., B. of L. E., B. of L. F. and E., B. of R. T. and O. R. T.

The ladies of the auxiliaries and societies of the different organizations turned out in force, and by the charm and influence of their presence, as well as by their kind thoughtfulness in providing refreshments in abundance, added most substantially to the success and enthusiasm of the cccasion.

Bro. J. D. Posey, of Div. 103, O. R.C., presided. The speakers of the occasion, in the order in which they spoke, were as follows: Bro. L. B. Waltz, of the O. R. C., of Evansville; Bro. J. F. McNamee, editor and manager of the B. of L. F. and E. Magazine; Bro. Theodore Perry, State Chairman of the Indiana State Federation of Labor; Bro. Fred L. Feick, Chairman of the I diana Legislative Committee of the B. of R. T.; Bro. J. J. Dermody, Fourth Vice-PresiIdent of the O. R. T.; Bro. W. R. Rutledge. Grand Master of the Brotherhood of Interurban Trainmen; Bro. Walter Copsey, of the O. R. C. and the B. of L. F. and E.; Bro. T. R. Dodge, First Vice Grand Master of the B. of R. T.; Bro. Wm. Clark, Third VicePresident of the O. R. C., and Mr. W. L. Taylor, former attorney general of Indiana.

The exercises were opened with an ad dress of welcome by Chairman Posey, who then introduced the Rev. Frank O. Ballard, of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, who offered prayer. The Ladies of the B. of L. E. Auxiliary then sang as an opening ode "America," Sister McKibben presiding at the piano.

Bro. Waltz, who was the first speaker. dwelt upon the necessity of railroad men exercising their political influence to protect

railroad interests in general from the evils of unfair, radical and unjustifiable legislation. He also pointed out the necessity for railroad men taking united action in securing, for their own protection, such legislation as would insure railroad employes a square deal in all matters. Bro. Waltz's remarks were characterized all through by logical and convincing argument.

Brother McNamee, who spoke next, represented Grand Master Hannahan, the latter being at the time engaged in very import ant Joint Protective Board work and unable to attend the meeting. After complimenting the ladies on the noble mission of their organizations, and the good they had accomplished, Bro. McNamee delivered a practical and entertaining talk, which he subdivided under three heads, viz.: "organization," "co-operation" and "the proper use of the ballot," which conditions he declared were essential to the success of the labor movement. He advised that party politics be dropped, and that individual members vote for individual candidates for office, regardless of partisan affiliations. He said that it would soon be time to nominate candidates for the governorship of Indiana, and that they should endeavor to elect a governor who thought as much of the man who works for a living as of the man with wealth. "We must encourage the nomination of men of that kind," he added, "on both tickets, and then, regardless of which one is successful, our rights will be properly conserved." He compared the unity of action prevailing amongst the building trades organizations with the degree of co-operation which characterizes the relations of the various railroad labor organizations to ward each other, and declared that such a condition was as essential to the complete success of the railroad brotherhoods in protecting and advancing the interests of their members as it is to that of the building trades.

In conclusion, Bro. McNamee said that if it were clearly demonstrated that an

injustice to one were in reality accepted as an injustice to all, injustices would cease.

Bro. Perry followed Bro. McNamee, and in a well-delivered address dwelt on the progress that had been made through the labor unions and the need of patronizing the union label. In closing his remarks, Mr. Perry said: "The elimination of the many evils that now exist must come through the intelligent use of the ballot by the laboring men of the country. Men must be elected to office who think more of humanity than they do of the dollar, and I leave this one thought with you—that when the proper time comes you will brush aside partisan politics and use your ballot for the protection of the childhood and womanhood of the country."

Bro. Feick spoke next and also took up the need of resorting to the ballot. He criticised the failure of the present governor of Indiana to reappoint, as state factory inspector, a man who had the indorsement of organized labor, and who was otherwise thoroughly qualified for the position, as was demonstrated by the manner in which he had been filling it. He advised that the various railroad brotherhoods and other labor organizations should be kept out of politics, but that the individual members thereof should vote for men who were friendly to their cause.

Bro. Dermody, who next addressed the meeting, spoke upon some of the experiences of his own organization in the strug gle for its establishment and recognition. He dwelt at length upon the great necessity for wage-earners uniting solidly for the protection of their interests and touched upon the advisability of their exerting their political influence with a view to securing proper consideration at the hands of the various legislative bodies.

Bro. Rutledge spoke on progressiveness, explaining the position of the interurban railroads and their employees in the industrial world. Bro. Rutledge impressed upon the audience that interurban railroads were not, by any means, street car systems, and should not be considered as such, and explained, in an interesting manner, all the details of their operation. He said that his organization was young, but that it was growing, and that before long he expected that every interurban system of the country would be organized.

Bro. Copsey touched upon child labor and

dwelt upon the necessity of surrounding the child with proper home conditions, so that it might be developed into a useful and honorable citizen. He touched on the evils of child labor and urged that every influ ence should be exerted to eradicate it from our industrial and economic system.

Bro. Dodge took up the matter of immigration, saying that the present flow of immigration into this country should be restricted, as many undesirable people are among the immigrants. He said in closing that the laboring people had to fight against the selfishness in their own ranks, just as much as against the organizations of capital.

Bro. Clark dwelt on the good that has been accomplished by organization, and then referred to the number of men that are killed and maimed in railroad service, saying that something must be done to prevent, as far as possible, this killing and maiming.

W. L. Taylor's Address.

The address of Mr. W. L. Taylor, being an expression of a view of railroad men and railroad conditions taken by one not identified with the service-one who in this instance might be appropriately regarded as a representative of the great public outside of the railroad world-and being therefore of unusual interest, is given herewith in full. Mr. Taylor spoke as follows:

"Railway figures for 1907 are fairly staggering in size. Two and one-half billions of dollars have been earned this year by American railways. Primarily railways have nothing to sell but transportation. To produce these great results, 1,400,000 men are employed. This vast army of railway el ployes has nothing to sell to railway companies but their services. For these services this year they will be paid $1,000,000,000. These are the stupendous figures in round totals. The mere statement of these facts is a conclusive argument of the interdependence of railway companies and railway employes.

"This interdependence from the very necessities of the case demands loyalty on the part of the companies to the employes, and loyalty on the part of the employes to the companies. Neither can permanently prosper unless there be a sympathetic bond between them. These interlacings of sympathy must run from the track hand to the president. No manager of a railway

company can go beyond the sympathetic influence of the track hand and be a successful operator of any property, and the humblest employe on the greatest railway system of America to be a good employe, must be in sympathy with his business.

"The day has gone by when railway managers can waive aside the great army of its employes when these employes in a courteous manner present their grievances. The good day has arrived when the railway operators of America have learned this lesson, and they are in sympathy with the other employes of the system. For it has come to be a fact today that railway managers themselves are regarded as merely employes in a higher grade only to other employes on the same system.

"This meeting, representative in character, has for its main object the devising of ways and means for lending greater aid and sympathy to all of your organizations. Th primary purpose is to produce a federation of spirit. Of necessity each of the great railway organizations has matters of interest peculiar to itself. This will be worked out by your separate organizations. These are not harmful either to you or to the railway companies, but are helpful to both you and the railway companies. In a larger sense members of each organization can help the members of every other organization of railway men.

Prefer to Deal with Organizations. "Tim was when railway managers opposed these great organizations. That time happily is largely a thing of the past. Broad and brainy railway managers today generally prefer to deal with organizations rather than with individuals. These great organizations select strong, conservative leaders to represent them. These leaders soon become schooled in weighing the wants and ways of both employe and employer. They learn to know that neither side always can get all it demands. All great labor settlements are in their very nature largely compromises.

Age of Organization.

"How can this bond of sympathy be strengthened between managers and their employes? You all answer in accord: 'it can be done by organization.' This is the age of organization. Organization of machinists, of car men, of telegraphers, of switchmen, of brakemen, of conductors, of firemen and of enginemen. All of the rail

road organizations are not only self-helpful, but are mutually helpful to those in other railway organizations.

"Grievance committees, trained by repcated conferences between the managers and men, become prudent, careful of statement, temperate in tone and moderate in language. They sit as arbitrators. They become acquainted with conditions, industrial, financial and social. They study the question of demand and supply of labor. They consider the general currents and cross-currents of trade and commerce-the cost of living-the earning power of rail. ways, the rates of transportation, both freight and passenger-the condition of the markets and many other features that must be brought into the field of vision if a just and lasting settlement is to be effected. Strikes Are Prevented.

"These organizations prevent strikes. It has been many years since our country has witnessed a great railroad strike and an evil day will come to this country if managers and men hereafter fail to agree upon a just and fair schedule of wages. I hail the day when the spirit of comity will not only be dominant between all railway or ganizations, but also between all railway organizations and railway managers. Each is peculiarly dependent upon the other.

"Railway organizations have taught another lesson-a lesson of temperance, temperance not only in language, but temperance in drink. A few years ago many railway men were more or less addicted to drink. Today every labor organization in America teaches and emphasizes the great virtue of temperance. But you do not stop here. You teach protection to the home, the wife, the children. You not only insure yourselves against accident, but also against death. You provide a protection for yourself if injured, and the protection for your family, if killed. Among all the millions of wage-earners in America, no class of men so universally protect themselves and families from disaster and death by adequate insurance, as do railwaymen. This comes from the very nature of your employment. Spirit of Comradeship.

"Lastly, the spirit of comradeship between men operating railway trains is stronger than that that exists between any other class of wage-earners. This comradeshin springs from the very nature of the employment. Injury or instant death sur

rounds every man every moment he is on a train. This spirit of comradeship is akin to the comradeship between the veterans of the great wars. This spirit is born of danger, of suffering and of death. Last year every ninth employe in the train service in this country was either injured or killed. This frightful record far surpasses records of casualties suffered by the soldiers of any of our wars, except the war of the rebellion.

"The story of these casualties imperatively demand from Congress and legislatures every possible legal safeguard that can be thrown around these men. The train-brake and coupling statute was timely and necessary, but we need further protecting statutes. The law should cover the master car builders' standards for sill steps, ladders and roof handholds and grabirons. Who is there today that is not proud of the memory of the great Benjamin Harrison, who forced through the train-brake and coupling law? Here and there a protest came from a greedy railway operator, and yet on all of the 2,000,000 cars and locomotives now in use in America, scarcely one can be found anywhere in all this broad land that is not equipped with a train-brake and an automatic coupler. Extend this beneficent law to include other protecting appliances and every employe as well as manager in a few years will bless the day when such a law became effective.

Best Days Given to Service.

"Your best days are given to the service of the company. These companies accept neither youth nor old age. Only the cream of your lives is or can be used in the train service. During this short period you must not only live, but must provide for old age. Unlike most kinds of employment, yours is necessarily limited to the few active years of manhood. Out of these few years of activity you must carve the great factors of injury and death on the rail.

"I congratulate you, and the thousands of others you represent, on the general prosperity of this and your orders, and I hail the day when the spirit of brotherhood between you all shall be universal."

In the evening a secret session was held, and the following committee was selected to report on the records of candidates for nomination for Governor, and later the rec ords of other candidates for State offices: Chairman, Fred Feick, of the B. of R. T.,

Garrett, Ind.; Vice-Chairman, C. E. Galatin, of the B. of L. E., Garrett, Ind.; Secretary, Geo. P. Kern, of the B. of L .F. and E., Indianapolis; W. B. Waltz, of the O. R. C., Evansville; E. C. Thompson, of the O. R. T., Indianapolis. The foregoing brothers are chairmen of the various Indiana State legislative committees of their respective organizations:

A Hostile Congressman.

Inasmuch as James E. Watson, Congressman from the Sixth District of Indiana, has been hostile to the interest of labor, the following resolutions regarding him were adopted unanimously:

"Whereas, James E. Watson, Congressman from the Sixth district of Indiana, has shown by his past course in Congress that he is hostile to the interests of workingmen and their organizations, and

"Whereas, It behooves us as wage-earners to defend our interests as such by opposing politically public men who have proven antagonistic thereto; therefore,

"Be it resolved, That in concert with the Indiana Federation of Labor, this joint union meeting-representative of the various railroad brotherhoods and orders in the State of Indiana-do most emphatically oppose the nomination of the said James E. Watson as candidate for Governor of the said State, and,

"Be it further resolved, That should he receive said nomination at the hands of his party, we will exert every effort of which we are capable to prevent his election to that office, regardless of our political affiliations, and,

"Be it still further resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to our various magazines and journals and given to the press for publication."

Speaker Cannon Opposed.

The following resolutions regarding Joseph G. Cannon, the present Speaker of the National House of Representatives, were also adopted unanimously:

"Whereas, Joseph G. Cannon, the present Speaker of the National House of Representatives, has been hostile to legislation in behalf of labor, dating back to 1879, and has continued so up to and including the last session of Congress; therefore, be it

"Resolved, That this body enter its protest against his re-election as Speaker of said House of Representatives and that we exert our influence with our Congressmen

in this and adjoining districts by sending them a copy of these resolutions, and also by personally soliciting their opposition to his re-election."

Postal Savings Banks.

A third resolution adopted took up the matter of postal savings banks as follows:

"Be it resolved, That this, a union meeting held in the city of Indianapolis, Ind., November 24, 1907, under the auspices of the various railroad brotherhoods, do appeal to the President and Congress in behalf of the passage of the Postal Savings Bank law at the coming session of Congress."

LETTER FROM SWEDEN.

Stockholm, December 14, 1907. Editor Railway Clerk, Kansas City, Mo., U. S. A.

Dear Sir and Brother: You may have good reason to believe that I have entirely forgotten you, not having written for so long a time. But it is not so. I have been exceedingly busy all the time, and, as the distance is somewhat long, I think it better to give each question a proper treatment once than to write about it several times without coming to a conclusion.

With regard to our questions I beg to give the following review: The Elmhult case is settled; the carriage examiner was discharged, and we could not obtain any alteration, so he had to find work elsewhere; and, of course, he was entitled to a remuneration from our new Donation and Protection fund.

The proposed agreement between our Society and the Swedish Railways Employers' Union, that was returned to our central committee by the congress, has been altered in some points and placed before the Union. Now, however, the Union declared the agreement inacceptable, so, after a few conferences, we agreed to make new alterations, and begin negotiations anew. I hardly need assure you that the most friendly feelings exist between the two organizations, in spite of the different opinion on some things.

"General Rules and Regulations for engagement, payment, medical treatment, etc., at the Swedish railways," is a new thing taken up by our Society, and the aforesaid Union, in order to secure equality at the

different lines on these matters. Proposal is given by our Society, but, owing to very excessive work at the two offices, no negotiations are taken up as yet.

The Swedish Postmen's Union has proposed the building up of a National or Scand.navian Federation of State Employees, viz: postmen, railwaymen, telegraph workers, custom house men and state offices' attendants. This question is taken up by us, but no discussion has taken place as yet. Besides this the postmen have expressed their wishes to learn something from abroad, and on hearing this, I arranged for them so that they can join the International Transportworkers' Federation; and I believe they are going to do so very soon.

Another rather burning question is that As regarding punishment of railwaymen. soon as an accident happens, the railwaymen generally are considered guilty, and the punishing law goes as far as to prescribe hard labor in special cases. Now if an accident happens, caused for instance, exclusively by lack of space at the yards, we cannot be content to see our fellow workers be imprisoned, although not guilty, and therefore we have taken up the forming of professional courts or juries for investigating and judging railway affairs. This, of course, must be brought before Parliament, and is rather complicated, but we are working hard to come to a satisfying result in this case.

Our membership is continually increasing and at present we count about 29,000, thus by far more than we expected at the beginning of this year.

As you will find from all this, we are going forward at high speed. Our organization has proved not only to be a motive power with regard to wages, but also to the working hours, and a great lot of other things fully as important to the managements of the railways, and the public, as to the staffs themselves. Further, our Society has gained the reputation of being of a considerate and peaceful mind, so that the railway managements with full confidence can take up negotiations with us.

Now, as this letter will be the last for this year, I will take the chance to thank you for the Journal, and for all the kindness shown to us, and to me personally. Your Journal is always interesting, full of good advices and a most proper representative for an earnest, honest and true railwaymen's organization. We all, my brother of