The Age Limit. in any case before the officials of the In regard to the age limit and giving company employing them. The only expreference in the matter of employment pense we would incur in using general to Brotherhood men I would like to say chairman as delegates to our conventhat I have been a member of the B. of tions would be their expenses away L. F. and E. for over twelve years and from home, which each convention since I gave up firing about five years should defray, and also pay for the time ago I have made several unsuccessful and expense of representatives from the attempts to secure a job firing. The small lines that do not have salaried roads to which I made application were, chairmen. I do not believe in our conin each case, hiring firemen. Upon giv- ventions as they are now held, for, to ing my age (which is a little over the many of the delegates they simply mean age limit) I was told I was too old and pleasure trips and are looked forward to the very best I was able to get was a as such and the serious work of the conjob hostling at 21 cents per hour, which vention is often left to not much more job I am still holding and do not expect than half the delegates while the others to get anything better. Now, I think it are absent for reasons that are not good is a shame that experienced firemen, and sufficient. Now if we get good and with families to support-firemen who just legislation with so many of our have been true to the Brotherhood— delegates absent from our conventions, should be refused these very badly needed why can't we get as good legislation jobs. The result of the good we have with a smaller representation made up done is being enjoyed in many cases by non-union firemen who do not care any thing whatever about the B. of L. F. and E. I hope the members will give this very important question due consideration. MEMBER LODGE 576. Reduce Convention Expenses. of our most experienced and best informed men. There might possibly be some complaint from the general chairmen's ranks but they would soon realize that the most good can be accomplished along these lines in the future. I would like to make a comparison. Suppose, for illustration, that originally every county in every State in the United States had a representative in I have read with interest the expres the national law making body at Washsions in recent issues of the Magazine ington, D. C. How long would it have regarding the reduction of convention been, as the nation increased in size, beexpenses. I wish to offer a suggestion fore the membership of such a body which in my opinion could be put into would have been reduced by an equitable practice, and which would reduce the reproportioning of the representation? number of delegates more than three- The people would certainly not have fourths and reduce convention expenses tolerated the payment of the enormous to the lowest minimum. On nearly all expense incident to maintaining such an systems we have salaried chairmen who exceedingly large representative body as are paid by the month with expenses that would have grown into as State away from home. The salaried chair- after State was admitted to the Union. man is usually the ablest of our mem- And yet is it not just as unreasonable bers on his system. He is trusted by all for us to maintain our present proporlodges on the system and looked to for tion of representation in our conventions representation in all matters affecting and to bear the enormous expense of the employment and discipline of the maintaining such representation as it men of our craft under his jurisdiction. would be under the circumstances I He is continually on the line and among have suggested for the people of the the men. he has the very best opportun- United States to have permitted their ity to inquire from them and from each representative body to assume the enorlodge just what they want at their next mous proportions it would have by this convention, and like all other matters time attained to and bear the expense he handles instructions of this kind of paying each of the members of such should be put in writing with the seal of representative body the salary at presthe lodge on same. Some may say that ert paid United States senators and repunder such a plan the interests of the resentatives, viz., $7500 per year? membership would not receive just con- Again, when the affairs of great corsideration in conventions. This very porations representing millions and milsame man should and would go just as lions of dollars are handled by a board far and work just as hard to properly of trustees comprising from 7 to 15 men carry out in conventions the wishes of I can see no good reason why we with the brothers on his system as he would good results cannot reduce our conven tion representation and expenses to at Past Records. I can hardly be called a railroader, still I have seen a little of the life that a railroad man has to lead. Often I read the different articles that appear in the B. of L. F. and E. Magazine. Any man that has ever worked on a railroad and experienced the grief incident to train serv ice can not but feel an interest in the boys that are earning their bread in that occupation. I was out of a job again, and when I asked the superintendent what I was out for, I was told that it was on account of my previous record. In other words, I was blacklisted. That ended my railroad career right then and there. I never tried to get the matter straightened out. I still belong to the Brotherhood and feel proud of my membership, and 1 expect I always will belong. But I want to say, brothers, stop this "previous record" business. There are thousands of good honest men tramping the streets, and of innocent women and chiluren whose lives are made miserable because their husbands and fathers can't hold a job, owing to just such frivolous little things as the above. With me it was different. I was not cut out for a railroad man. It was easy for me to leave that occupation, but I know men that have spent the best part of their lives in railroad train service and something happened that threw them out so late in life that they were not capable of doing anything else. Other roads wouldn't employ them, and their families are suffering the consequences. I am not speaking from prejudice, I have a good position and a happy home. I started railroading as a fireman on the Wisconsin Division of the Chicago and Northwestern. My first trip was made on a double-header from Chicago to Janesville. Bill Loco was the engineer. I expect Bill is still at it and may read these few lines. If so, I want to thank him for the advice he gave me on that first trip. Although I have made a great many hard trips since, I think that was my hardest. We left Chicago with two engines and before we got to Janesville there were three passenger engines and two freight engines on the train. It was the winter of the big snow in Chicago. I left the Chicago and Northwestern and went to the Santa Fe, which was my first mistake-not that the Santa Fe is not a good road to work on as railroads go, but it awoke the spirit of the boomer within me. How long I worked on the Santa Fe I cannot just recall, but I was discharged because they could not locate Brotherhood Accident Insurance. me on the Northern Pacific, a road which up to that time I had never so much as rode over much less worked on. I was green at the game, and when I hired out to the Santa Fe I felt that it was necessary for me to show a certain length in railroad service as a condition to their accepting my application, so on the advice of another fellow I told them I had worked for the N. P. Ry., and when I was called on the carpet later to explain the situation, I was discharged for making this misrepresentation and telling the truth afterwards. It did me no good to make a clean breast of the situation. The Short Line caught me next; I fired out of Pocatello, about a year, and I think that was the best job I ever had as far as railroad jobs go, and although my losing out there was the best thing that could have happened to me, I did not know it then. I went from there to the Canadian Pacific and worked out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I did not work there long, however, when I learned that It is a fact that the "previous record" policy maintained by most railroad companies of North America, is keeping many a good honest brother out of work. I wish all brothers all the good things there are in life. THOS. J. KINGSLEY, It is not open to doubt, to any fair minded member of the Brotherhood that if the insurance of locomotive firemen and enginemen against the distressing results of accident or illness or both, is a good thing for regular, old line accident insurance companies-a good enough thing to enable such companies to pay fancy commissions to agents to solicit the business, and in addition to return to the stockholders elaborate dividends-it seems to the writer that it is a good enough thing to warrant the Brotherhood to adopt its own method of accident and health insurance, and have these profits and dividends remain with the members in the way of reduced premiums. That the matter of securing the railroad accident insurance business is worth while to these companies is plainly evident by the industrious methods they adopt to secure from railroad corporations the right to solicit the business so that they may collect the premiums for such insurance through the and methods these old line companies railroad paymasters, to their financial pursue in seeking railroad accident inprofit. Brothers, if it is worth while to them to secure your accident insurance business at an expenditure of much money which, by the way, you pay out of your own wages, why isn't it worth while to you to secure accident insurance that is as good or better by which you can save this excess expense? surance business and in many opponents of the proposition that the Brotherhood operate its own plan of accident and health insurance, be prepared to meet one who is in the employ of some accident insurance company or who is closely allied to one who is. If we complain because times are It is a very poorly paid agent or solic hard, and we do complain for times are itor for an accident insurance company hard, then, to assist in removing the who does not draw down twenty-two cause, let us cut off extravagances-let and one-half per cent of every dollar of us reduce the high cost of living by reyour premium, and many of them re- ducing the high cost of insurance. ceive twenty-five per cent, all of which That's one way and a good way to begin. comes out of your pocket, and which you Certainly it costs the insurance compay for the privilege of having the agent panies something to solicit your busior solicitor come to you to convince you ness. They can't and won't work for that there is something which you know nothing. Why should they? You don't. as well as he does and perhaps better, Besides paying liberal commissions to that you want and need and should have. agents to solicit your business, they If this isn't the height of extravagance on your part then I am at a loss to find the proper term for it. Neither is it open to doubt that, if the Brotherhood shall ever seriously consider the problem of conducting its own accident and health department, there will be concerted and organized opposition to it by the companies that are now so industriously soliciting the accident insurance business of the members of our organization. also pay railroad companies liberal commissions for the privilege of collecting premiums through the pay car, and in some instances the paymaster gets his "little bit" on the side because a paymaster can, in perfectly proper ways, make it mighty easy or mighty hard sledding for an insurance company. Then, besides there is the office force, books, stationery, salaries and expenses of traveling men, etc., etc. Is it not easy to understand why premiums for There hasn't been a convention of our accident and health insurance are high? Brotherhood for ten, and perhaps fifteen They must necessarily be so-can't well years, but which has been closely be otherwise. But they can be greatly watched by representatives of these ac- lessened to our members if the Brothercident companies to discover if measures hood will operate its own accident and antagonistic to their interests were in- health insurance. I know for I have troduced-for any such would meet been identified with the railroad affairs their combined and organized opposition. of an accident and health insurance comShould one chance to discuss this mat- pany. I have also been identified with ter with the officials of these companies the insurance affairs of our Brotherthey will likely say, "Oh, we are not so desirous of insuring enginemen, the oc- Why wear a hoodwink longer? Is it cupation is very hazardous and we don't not good judgment to adopt principles reap any great profits from this class of of successful men of business? True we business," but the fact remains that they cannot change our present methods unspend much money to secure the business less we change our laws and they cannot just the same. Shrewd, sharp business be changed until we meet in convention, men rarely seek business which returns but we can spend much profitable time them little or no profits. Insurance offi- in discussing ways and means and cials are not philanthropists as that methods and plans so that when we meet term is generally applied. They are not in Denver at our Twenty-seventh Convencarrying these risks on firemen just be- tion we may be prepared to present to cause firemen are good fellows-nothing the convention a way which will lead us of the sort. They are made of the same to a successful solution of that important sort of material as are all other suc- problem-the problem of Brotherhood cessful business men, and are ready and accident and health insurance-to the prepared to, at all times, get out from end that it will save our members thouunder when the load begins to get heavy sands upon thousands of dollars -trust them for that. nually. I wish the members would disIn every defender of the principles cuss this question through the Magazine. hood. an It is not possible for me to answer fully and satisfactorily all the letters I receive from interested members on this subject because I simply haven't the time. F. W. ARnold. a shovel your pockets are picked by the steel trust, whose profits last year were over $100,000,000.00. If you buy a sack of sugar your pockets are picked by the sugar trust, whose profits last year in the three states of Colorado, Utah, and Idaho were $9,000,000.00, and if you buy a new How Long Will We Continue to dress for your wife your pockets are Pay Tribute to Trusts? picked by the woolen trust whose profits last year exceeded $30,000,000.00. And Brothers, do you sometimes wonder if the profits of the railroads last year life is really worth while so long as it amounted to the stupendous sum of $960,means only to eat, sleep and work? Has 000,000.00. Do you still wonder why your life been a success? Have you times are hard and money scarce? realized the dreams of other yearswealth, independence, comfort and contentment, or has your existence been one continuous battle for bread-a never ending struggle to secure the most common necessities of life and keep the wolf of want from the door? To the vast majority of mankind this is what life means, and nothing more, but in every human being the Creator has implanted a desire for something better and higher. The world is full of beauty and abundance for man's enjoyment. Learning, literature, music, art, science, travel,—these are all for man's enjoyment, and yet how very few are permitted to benefit by them. What is the reason? Why is the vast majority of mankind forever chained to the earth by poverty and the fierce strug gle for mere animal existence? Do you think an all-wise Creator would have thus doomed His children to lives of wretchedness and misery? Is it not that man himself by disregarding the laws of evolution is responsible? A new movement comes to point the world to a higher and better path. It bids mankind arouse and break the oppressor's chains and enter into possession of the earth and its fullness. The capitalist system is the slavemaster of mankind, driving all humanity before it. A few men banded together in great corporations control the industries of the nation and hold the fate of 90,000,000 people in their grasp. They fix the price of what you sell and the price of what you buy, and they levy tribute upon you from the hour you are laid in your cradle until the day you are lowered into your grave. "I raised enough food last year to feed a hundred families, but I could not keep enough of it to feed my own," thus spoke a Colorado farmer to me not long ago. "O," I replied, "you were too generous, you 'divided up' your crop with the railroads, the beef trust, the coal trust, the clothing trust, the oil trust, the harvester trust, the lumber trust, the money trust, and a few more of them. Is it any wonder you haven't anything left? Why don't you vote to stop this 'dividing up? How much longer are you going to consent to live under a system that robs and enslaves you every minute of your life, a system that compels you to toil from dawn until darkness and from childhood to old age, merely to heap up vast mounds of wealth for a few plutocratic owners of the earth? How much longer will you tolerate this insane system which is daily engulfing millions of your fellow beings in poverty, crime, ignorance, insanity, wretchedness, disease and death? Do you expect to become a capitalist yourself? If so, how and when? Will you buy stock in standard oil or become director in a national bank? Maybe you are planning to become a small capitalist, but, do you not know that the small capitalists are being constantly swallowed up by the big capitalists and every year thousands upon thousands of small capitalists, farmers and business men are being crushed out of existence and driven into the wage earning or tenant class? Do you know that one-half of the American people own no homes whatever, and that a majority of homes that are owned are mortgaged for about all they are worth? Do you know that Whether you buy or sell, work in a fifty years ago there was hardly a milfactory, a store or on a farm-whatever lionaire or a tramp in America and that your occupation may be, if you are a today there are 5,000 millionaires and producer of wealth, your pockets are being daily picked by the capitalist system two million tramps? What is to become in the name of profits. If you should of your children? Where will your boy buy an article of farm machinery your get a foothold on the land? What conpockets are picked by the harvester trust ditions of drudgery and destitution await which controls 75 per cent of all the farm your daughter if this system is to conmachinery made in the United States. If tinue? you buy a pound of nails, a pitchfork or W. W. MURPHY, Secretary, Lodge 594. W. H. KEY Former Financial Secretary, Lodge 367 Notice to all Members of the Brotherhood. W. H. Key, whose picture is shown herewith, until recently financial secretary of Lodge 367, conducted the affairs of that office in a way that made it necessary for us to ask him to resign and turn over all books, papers and moneys of the lodge to the trustees. This he promised to do, but before complying with such promise he advised his wife he was going to South America, and he has left for parts unknown without turning over the books, and papers belonging to the lodge or in any way accounting for the sum of $830.40 which came into his possession as financial secretary. All brothers are requested to look out for him. He should be arrested and the undersigned notified immediately by wire. W. P. KEENY, President, Lodge 367. CHAS. W. HILL, Secretary. Correspondence Thus will many dangers be eliminated from railroad operation and much better service insured the shipper. LODGE 49-(Member, Decatur, Ill.) of cars to a train will be brought within Lodge 49 is alive and prospering. Our a reasonable limit. membership is growing right along and practically all eligible men within the jurisdiction of our lodge have joined our ranks. Our meetings are well attended and all the members take an active part in the work. They pay their dues promptly and keep the lodge in fine shape financially. We are planning a large picnic this summer at one of the parks, to be assisted by the Ladies Society Lodge 272 of this city. I I read the article entitled, "Rules for Keeping a Lookout on a Busy Road" by Engineer Edward F. McKenzie in the May, 1914, issue of the Magazine. agree with him as to all his safety precautions but I have fired freight for about six years, passenger for five years and run an engine on freight about two On and one-half years, and fired passenger Business is very dull here now. the Wabash Railroad they are pulling for some of the most alert and quick from 80 to 110 cars to the train, mak- minded men that ever ran an engine, and ing about two trains in one. They are the Wabash is well equipped with good also using so much soda-ash in the water men, and I do not see how any engineer The ma- could do all Engineer McKenzie claims that the boilers foam badly. chinery is not kept up and the coal is he did in one-half second when he hit When Nothing is harder on a fireman the box car on Horseshoe curve. than poor coal and it has its hardships I was firing passenger we had a simifor the engineer also. It is to be hoped lar experience, and I say it cannot be that the length of trains will ere long done. My engineer was always "on the be regulated by law so that the number job" and all he could do was to shut off poor. |