don't need those fellows who call them J. Woods, Lodge 511, B. of R. T., selves leaders. All men should co-operate Treasurer; Bro. Walter Hartshorn, Lodge 333, B. of L. F. and E., Secretary. MEMBER. to secure what is best for all. "You men have a right to let your wants be known. You need fear no insidious lobby at Washington when labor asks for what it wants. When labor is united and going in the right direction you will have the debt due you discharged. You must be going in the right direction. Society should bear the burden which you as individuals have been made to bear in too large a part." Brotherhood Accident and Health Insurance. There surely is serious thought being given by many members of the Brotherhood to the matter of our organization operating its own accident and health inMr. Gifford Pinchot dwelt at length surance, if the large number of letters on the sacrifices made daily by railroad the writer has received since he began men. He referred to their occupation this series of articles is a criterion to as a "victorious contest with death." In judge by. the course of his remarks he said: "There must be loss, but the loss falls too heavily on your families. The things we are most wasteful of are human help and life. It is not charity, but justice, that is owed the wives and children of those killed or hurt. It is not a gift, but a recognition, that the State or Nation owes to them the heaviest of debts. Without the railroads there would be famine. If we could not stop such atrocities as marked the Colorado strike, we could not have peace and prosperity. We are all under obligations to these men, and the loss coming to them is our loss as well as the loss of the wives and children. Our part as the community is to acknowledge our debt to you. The loss must not all be borne by those who lose most heavily, but by the Commonwealth." Interesting addresses were also delivered by Bro. L. E. Sheppard, Senior Vice President of the O. R. C., Bro. Albert Phillips, Vice President of our Brotherhood, and Bro. George B. Rowan, Legislative Representative of the B. of R. T. Inasmuch as Bro. W. E. Wills, Legislative Representative of the B. of L. E. and the representative of the O. R. T. were unable to be present, Brother Phillips also spoke in behalf of these two organizations. One of the most impressive features of the services was the roll call of the dead, the theater being dark with the exception of the light shed from electric lights amongst the palms at the front of the stage which went out one by one. When the last name was called a bugle call was sounded with an echo response which came from behind the scenes, and the entire audience joined in "Nearer My God To Thee" and the Doxology. Reverend John J. Wheeler pronounced the benediction. It is a pleasure to receive these responses from interested members. They open up many new avenues of thought and research but it would be better if brothers seeking light on the subject would address their communications to the entire membership through the columns of the Magazine and thereby open the way for discussion and comment and furnish food for thought in a general way so that we all may arrive in time at a comparatively perfect understanding as to how we may best put such a plan in successful operation. In the July number the writer sought to arouse the members to a spirit of economical business effort that of adopting a plan of insurance that would be as good as the best and at the same time keep down the excessive cost of insurance by having the profits remain in the pockets of the members. The writer is actuated by but one motive and that is to bring the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen up to date in, what appears to him to be, the only thing in which our organization is lacking, viz., that of operating our own accident and health insurance. We have made a success of our life insurance feature. In fact it is one of the strongest links in our chain of solidarity. Strip from the members their Brotherhood insurance protection, as it now is, and I fear the disastrous results. Well then if our life insurance feature makes our Brotherhood strong and powerful-and we are as powerful, physically, as we are strong-how much greater in strength could we be if we made our insurance feature complete? Then, if it is good logic to increase our strength, why isn't it sound reason to strengthen at the least possible expense? The services were in charge of the following brothers, assisted by a committee of three from each lodge represented, A campaign of education in this acci making 48 on the committee: Bro. J. C. dent and health discussion is on and it McDonald, Lodge 511, B. of R. T., will be to the interest of all members of Chairman; Bro. Geo. Phillips, Division the Brotherhood to think seriously and 162, O. R. C., Vice Chairman; Bro. P. well about this matter; to direct their ble for all our members to have been there I believe there would be a general and insistent demand for a reduction of the representation in the Grand Lodge, for they would have realized how absolutely unnecessary and how enormously thoughts through the Magazine so that when the time arrives to choose delegates to the next convention they may be well equipped with information and shall intelligently discuss the important question. The fame of our Brotherhood-the expensive it is to have such a large body high character of its standing is not confined to this country-it has reached the wide expanse of all Europe. We have long since been applauded by British railway labor authorities. Recently we were referred to by a member of the Kings Railway Commission of Sweden, an engineer on the Swedish State Railway and an editor, as the "Mightiest Railwaymen's Organization on earth." He went into details, in his article, on our splendid insurance features and urged the advisability of the Swedish railwaymen's organization adopting some of them. Thus do we enjoy the fruits of our labors and thus are we foremost in plans and ideas and thus should we aim to keep well to the front in all progressive ideas and the one important idea, as it seems to the writer, is to complete our already splendid insurance system by including insurance for accidents and ill ness. F. W. ARNOLD, Aid That is Appreciated. of men legislating for our organization. "Member, Lodge 331," says that we can reduce the amount of dues by increas ing the membership, but I fail to see it. When I first joined the order in 1905 I paid at the most $5.50 as dues every three months for a certificate of $1,000. siderably since then, and it now costs me The membership has increased very con$10.20 for a certificate of $2,000, or if I had the old certificate of $1,000 it would be $7.20, so that proves that increase in in the amount of dues. Of course, I membership does not mean a reduction want to see the membership increased amongst the "Tried and True," and the until every eligible man is numbered one hundred per cent standard of organitimes, but that will not necessarily mean zation maintained everywhere and at all a reduction in dues-smaller assessments. mitted last fall are, I am sorry to say, Many of our members who were adwithout jobs now. We initiated nine in Lodge 789, all of whom are at present out of employment and unable to get work and these men have to live. They must also keep their assessments paid up or lose their membership in the Brotherhood. The officers and members of the lodges on the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg I would like to shake hands with Railway desire to express their appre- "Member, Lodge 331," and hope to hear ciation of the valuable services rendered from him again. I am confident that a their Joint Protective Board by Vice- thorough discussion of this question will President D. B. Robertson while assist- result in our next convention materially ing them to secure our new working reducing the Grand Lodge representation. MEMBER, LODGE 789. agreement which became effective June 15, 1914, and which they consider one of the best agreements in effect on any railroad at the present time. They extend to Brother Robertson their sincere wishes for success and happiness in the future. C. H. KEENEN, Sec'y-Treas., J. P. B.-B. R. and P. Railway. Representation in Grand Lodge. I see that "Member, Lodge 331." in a letter in the May issue, page 633, disagrees with me when I say that a reduction in the number of delegates to our conventions is necessary. I am sure that if this brother had attended the Washington Convention, June and July, 1913, he would entertain the same opinion on the subject that I do, and had it been possi Reunion of Lehigh Valley Strikers. On November 18, 1893, at 10 o'clock p. m. the Lehigh Valley Railroad strike went into effect and every man in train and telegraphic service on that road left the employ of the company. For the next eighteen days thereafter one of the best organized, and best goverened strikes in the railroad history of the North American Continent took place. On November 18th next it will be twenty-one years since this strike began, and there is a movement on foot to celebrate this twenty-first anniversary at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., by a reunion of the strikers. Bro. James F. Marley of Lodge 250 and myself have issued a call for a reunion of all the strikers who can attend. We have already received many responses ticular throughout the United States and from members of the different organiza- Canada. tions who express themselves pleased with the proposition. as well I am not now in railroad service, but Any in- shall ever be true to the B. of L. F. and formation will be cheerfully given by E. I am a carpenter and joiner by trade, either Bro. James F. Marley, 185 Kidder and, being a member of the United Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., or Lewis Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Smith, 167 North Main Street, Pittston, Pa. Referring to the subject in its issue of June 25th last the Wilkes-Barre News says in part: "The boys of '93" of the Lehigh Valley Railroad plan to get together for a reminiscing session about the affairs of the strike of that year. The call was sent out by Alderman Lewis Smith, of Pittston, a former railroader. Many of the men who left the service of the railroad at that time, due to the labor troubles, are now active and successful in other lines. They promise to be on hand for the occasion. One veteran of '93 is Coroner James F. Marley, who says that the strike is the best thing that ever hap pened to him. A few days ago he fell to recounting the incidents of his railroad career. 'Railroading at the time of the big strike and before that time was a chance; today, it is a science,' he said. "Twenty-five years ago we got an order at one point and made the best of it until we could reach the next place where a telegraph office was situated. Sometimes, if we obeyed orders implicitly, which, by the way, we were not supposed to do, we would have laid over on a siding for a half day. Many narrow escapes we had, but that added to the fascination of our work. You will hear some thrilling tales if you attend the gathering which the old timers plan." A warm invitation to attend this reunion is hereby extended to all of the 1893 Lehigh Valley strikers. LEWIS SMITH, Recording Secretary Lodge 436. 167 North Main Street, Pittston, Pa. of America, can speak from experience. All, or most builders and contractors of any consequence at all, have an agree ment with the different labor organizations representing the crafts of the men who do their work to employ union labor, and when they are in need of any men they communicate by phone or otherwise with the various business agents or secretaries of these different trade unions, and no outsider can be hired on a job until all available union mechanics are employed. I can see no reason why the different railroad companies should not be requested to do the same with our Brotherhood, for it is just as important that we have such an agreement as it is. that any trade union have it, if not more so, as there are no more responsible or hazardous occupations than those of locomotive engineer and fireman. The annual death roll tells of the danger of their work. I am sure we could secure such an agreement if we would make a united effort, and we should take action in the matter at once. such an agreement with the various railroad companies I am sure that the number of brothers using traveling cards going from place to place over the country will be greatly reduced. When we have There is no doubt, as Brother Crane says, that railroad companies keep a personal record bureau. I know of several first-class firemen, as well as engineers, in the town I live in, of only 15,000 inhabitants, who are out of a job as enginemen because of some paltry, trivial mistake that has been charged against them on their personal records. If a man un Brotherhood Men Must Have Pre- der these conditions obtains a situation as ference. I have read the article entitled "Brotherhood Men Should Have Preference," by Bro. C. W. Crane, of Lodge 94, in the May issue of the Magazine, and I desire to endorse his views. As a member of one of the largest, best and most noble labor organizations in existence, I feel that we can not do too much in endeavoring to better the conditions under which we work to suport our families, and there is no doubt that the time has come when an attempt should be made to get the different railroad companies to give our members preference in the matter of employment just as other labor organizations are recognized in this par an engineman, as soon as his "record" is received from the last road on which he was employed he is "put out of business" and swells the ranks of the unemployed, and probably cannot again obtain employment unless he goes far away from his home and family, using the traveling card. I am personally acquainted with men in my own town who have had this experience. Brother Crane says that inexperienced men are being hired on every railroad in preference to our Brotherhood men, which is a shame-but a fact beyond a doubt, as we all well know. This helps to flood the ranks of the unemployed in our occupation and our members out of work have difficulty in meeting their assessments in the order, and some of them cannot pay and are suspended. quite different from the "personal record bureau" system of the Eastern roads referred to by Brother Crane, and which We should discuss this subject at our we know to be in existence. Then I lodge meetings with a view to obtaining don't believe the Western roads answer an agreement with the railroad companies any correspondence in reference to a stipulating that members of our organi- man's character or employment record zation should be given employment in after he has once been given his service preference to inexperienced men as far as the needs of the service will permit, letter, but on the Eastern roads, as we in and we have the men to fill the vacancies. the East here well know, companies Unless we can secure such an agreement write to other companies for particulars we will have, as Brother Crane says, an regarding men formerly in their employ, average of over ten thousand men con- and the men regarding whom the instantly out of employment by the time formation is requested know nothing as our membership reaches the one hundred to what the company by whom they had thousand mark, and I fail to see why we been previously employed may report should have one man out of employment about them. Had I been able to obtain unless for some serious offense. a "service letter" from my last 1oad but one in the East here I would have been handling the scoop today. I, as well as others, know of no reason why our men should not be given a "service letter" by the company when they resign or a.e discharged. Then a master mechanic would have some idea as to the kind of a man who was applying to him for employment, and this would be beneficial to both parties. This question should have been brought up years ago. I, myself, would like to see something done befo next winter to bring these agreements about, and I trust the day is not far off when this shall have been accomplished. G. BOYNTON, The strict physical examination should be abolished and the age limit for experienced men extended to at least 35 years. The articles in the May issue of our Magazine entitled "Physical Examination and Age Limit," and "Brotherhood Men Should Have Preference" should be carefully read by all members. Enginemen employed on most roads West of Chicago and in the Western States are given what is called a "service letter" when, after three months' service, they resign or are discharged. Their employment record, description, etc., are given on same, and they then have the opportunity of having any mistake rectified when leaving the service, which is Member Charity Lodge 5. BILL CHANGED HIS MIND BY J. ALEX KILLINGSWORTH* Bill Perkins lived 'long side the track, And many a time he heaved a sigh Poor farmers get the jolts-'By Gee.' Don't do a thing but draw their pay. Of guilt and work such steals as they *Charity Lodge No. 5, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. GRETA BY ADELBERT CLARK When the nights are dark and lonely. And the wind is on the hill, And the ivy rocks and rustles 'Gainst the pane and window-sill, For the grave is but a shadow That great blessedness of life Greta lives, and every violet Every songbird that is filling Woodland ways with songs of praise, Seems to tell me she is ever Near, and blessing all my days. So when shades of night are falling |