do something to improve the condition of the fraternity, realizing that dismissal simply means the employment of their abilities in other and often more profitable fields of endeavor. Vice-Grand President Forrester has been called to New England on grievance work. Vice-Grand President Farnan has survived the rigors of a severe winter in the Northwest, and Dame Rumor says he will be completely thawed out by the first of May. Vice-Grand President Riley ran into an epidemic of "black smallpox" down in Dixie. Ninety per cent of those who were so unfortunate as to contract it died within twentyfour hours. However, he did not leave the infested district until he had secured a charter list. Newspaper reports indicate that returning prosperity is coming to the country with all the force of a tidal wave. Some New England papers state that certain manufacturing industries are now running with three shifts of men and the capacity even with working twenty-four hours per day is insufficient to keep up with orders. In one of the Connecticut towns the entire output of one of the large manufacturing concerns is sold two years ahead. In the same town another large factory is under course of construction which will give immediate employment to 8,000 men. All indications point to the fact that by the middle of the summer similar conditions will obtain over all the entire country, and then long hours of overtime for the railway clerks, where they are unorganized-labor for which they will not be paid. Lodge No. 170 has raised the slogan, "Never miss an issue of the Journal" without having something from that progressive lodge. Who will emulate their example? SOME ARGUMENTS. It is an undisputed fact that clerks have more difficulty in perfecting their organization and obtaining recognition than any other craft. In view of the fact that they are assumed to have the necessary intelligence to originate and prepare information enabling their superiors to properly handle their own positions, is it possible that they are unable to apply these qualifications and reap the benefits for themselves? The superior officer gets the credit for all of the "good things" and the clerk is the "goat,” if the information which he works up does not produce the desired results. Clerks in many instances are branded as poor financial managers of their own personal affairs, when the truth is they have to be more than economical in order to make both ends meet, and but very little finances are furnished for them to manage. Under the best of conditions it is very frequently difficult to make the meager allowance cover the expenditures, and when sickness or other misfortune visits his home he is left to the tender mercies of the loan shark, or so hopelessly in debt that it is just a matter of time until he is dismissed for failure to promptly meet his obligations, and is thrown upon the world with about the same he had when he entered it, except a family and unliquidated bills. This is one of the courses adopted by some roads to assist their unfortunate employes to get on their feet again. Comparatively, the clerks are as good personal financial managers as their superiors, and when it comes to managing the funds of the company they are as a rule far their superior in this respect. The officials are well known to lean towards extravagance when it comes to their own personal affairs, as numerous actual cases bear witness. The conditions for making our organization a leading one are by far better than they ever were for the other organizations, and if the fighting spirit was present in the clerks make-up to the same extent as has been shown in others, we would be where we belong. There are too many "Philadelphia freaks" among our craft to make the path as easy as it should be, and there will occasionally be found a few simple-minded "fish worms" who will sell themselves for a few dollars' increase per month, not having enough mind of their own to realize that the benefit they receive is only temporary and that their position after selling themselves in this manner is below that of a "scab." The friendship and respect shown them by brother members, union acquaintances of other crafts and all square officials is lost, as when he has sold himself once he is for sale again at a very small price and cannot be trusted. It is well to have at hand all of the argu ments possible, as entirely too many of our craft are too skeptical, and even with all of them we will sometimes fail; but we should not allow ourselves to get discouraged, just keep everlastingly at it. C. & E. I. LODGES. A resume of the work done by the various locals shows that excellent progress has been made recently through increased interest on the part of the members of the Board of Adjustment and the local officers, aided by the staunch support of the members and the organization committees. Charters have been received for six locals and permanent officers installed. Two of these have practically 100 per cent membership for their territory, and the others are taking action which will result in a heavy increase in membership. One more local is being organized, which will take care of the entire system. In the face of some rather serious developments the officers and members are to be congratulated on the "stand-pat" spirit which was shown under fire, with the exception of one or two who failed when the test came. On account of the stand taken, weak members have been strengthened and the "nons" have been shown that the B. R. C. was here to stay. A tendency was shown in the past to neglect the financial end of the business at some points, but steps have been taken to remedy this, and all locals are on the way to good financial circumstances if the work is kept up. A Board of Adjustment meeting, to be held soon, will have some very important matters to consider, and it is thought that some definite plans will be adopted and carried out very shortly after to enable the organization to make some beneficial moves. A MEMBER. C. & E. I. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. The regular meeting of the C. & E. I. System Board of Adjustment was held in Danville, Ill., Sunday, March 21st, with General Chairman Christy presiding. After the transaction of much important business, in compliance with resolutions the doors were thrown open and non-members and friends from the other Brotherhoods were invited in to participate in a general discussion of the aims, purposes and intents of the Broth erhood in that section. Able addresses were made by H. D. Lawrence of the O. R. C., B. D. Keenan of the Shop Federation, and Brother Chas. Seivers, General Organizer of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. Reports were also made by the various representatives of the C. & E. I. lodges. Encouraging reports from Momence tell of the general effort on all sides to line up the clerks in that vicinity. The slogan at that point is 100 per cent membership. Chicago Heights reports continued success in both organization work and efforts to provide funds for the Board of Adjustment. Salem, Terre Haute, Vincennes, Evansville and Hoopston also reported increases in membership. In the past two weeks organization committees were appointed from the various locals to work in conjunction with the System Board and Brother Seivers to push the work of organization to completion. The officers of the Board were instructed to confer with Vice-Grand President Farnan in Chicago at an early date regarding matters of importance. Brother Christy left for Chicago immediately after the meeting. PEN POINT. A POEM FOR THE HOUR. "If all our life were one broad glare On hands too weak for holding- "If none were sick and none were sad I think if we were always glad, Our patient ministration, If sorrow never claimed our heart --Selected. HIS MIDDLE NAME. He isn't handsome-far from that, He doesn't sport the latest hat Than all the bloming roost, His middle name is Boost. He doesn't wear the latest styles But he just smiles and smiles When things are going bad. He talks a lot, when rainclouds pour, He makes no million bucks a year, And yet he has enough; His charity is giving cheer When things are looking tough. Of friends he owns a plenty, more Than money has induced; Yep, ev'rybody likes him, for His middle name is Boost. Get out yourself and boost a bit For knocking never makes a hit When things are breaking wrong. -Douglas Malloch, in American Lumber man. "ALL." All? Why, no, there's a great deal moreThere's an arm that's weak and a head that's sore; There's a home that's filled with grief and woe, And a wife that's felled with a savage blow. All? Why, no, there's a job that's lost; There's an empty purse that can meet no cost; There's a watch to pawn, and a chair to sell; There's money to borrow and a thirst to quell; There's an empty glass and a fight or two, And a fine to pay for an eye that's blue. All? Why, no, there's a demon's curse; There's a child to kick and a wound to nurse; There's a home to break and a wife to scrub, And the song of her life to scrub and rub; There's a free lunch served in a sample room, And some chores to do with a rag or broom; There's the price to beg for a burning drink, And a place to sleep where drunkards sink. All? Why, no, there is half untold: There's a heart grown sick and limbs grown cold; There's a manhood gone and a substitute That is half a fiend and half a brute; There's a place to rob and a man to kill; There's a prison cell for a man to fill; There's a speedy trial and a verdict read, And a wife that weeps as the doom is said. -Mrs. Clyde Lloyd, in The Railroad Trainman. ASHAMED OF YOUR MOTHER! Ashamed of your mother! whose tresses of silver Have changed in the year from the wavelets of gold; Ashamed of her garments, her poor hands have toiled for, Ashamed just because they are faded and old. Ashamed of her tear-drops, her patience, and sorrow, When you in your anger have been so un kind; But go where you will, there will not be another So soon to forgive as your mother, you'll find. Ashamed of her form, and the deep sunken furrows, So long interwoven upon her pale brow; OUR COMING CONVENTION. The membership has decreed that a convention shall be held this year. The laws of the Brotherhood make it mandatory upon all lodges to elect delegates in April. Too much importance cannot be attached to the necessity for the selection of men to represent you, who will devote their entire time and pay strict attention to all the business brought before them, for only by so doing can they hope to serve the best interests of the Brotherhood and perform the tasks assigned with honor to themselves and credit to the organization. Lodges and delegates are sometimes imbued with the idea that conventions are mere pleasure and sightseeing affairs and that all a man has to do at a convention is to be a "good fellow," set the pace, go out with the boys and have a good time generally; no one has any right to object to any one enjoying themselves, or to any individual having a good time, in fact we all encourage it on the ground that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." We know, too, that there is a time for work and a time for play, and we also know from experiences we've had at other conventions that the business of the convention was only of secondary importance to some who were sent there by local lodges to represent them and at the close of the convention they knew very little more about what had been transacted than they did before they came there. I will state that the last convention was a very decided improvement over the conventions which were held prior to it. We installed a register at the Boston convention and each Grand Lodge officer and delegate was required to register twice daily between certain hours or be considered absent in computing the per diem due him. The thing we wish to impress upon the minds of our members is to select the very best men for the position of delegate, men who are imbued with the spirit and principles of your organization; men who will devote their whole time and attention to the business of the organization as a whole; who know what the Clerks desire and are in a position to explain them. selves on all questions of importance pertaining to the Clerks and to the Clerks organization. Every local lodge has the material to select from and they should select the very best. The duties of a delegate are exacting, the responsibilities which rest upon his shoulders as the representative of the organization in constructing laws and adopting legislation are second to none in importance. On his painstaking and conscientious effort will largely depend the future progress of the Brotherhood. If for any cause the members of this Brotherhood should not enact or construct laws, that will give the organization and its members what they think they ought to have or what they think would be more beneficial to them or in fact what the organization really needs they have no one to blame but themselves. It would be almost next to impossible for a convention of any kind, to enact into law, any advanced legislation unless the delegates who represented the various lodges freely express themselves in support of that which they think would be for the best interests of all. We sometimes overlook or at least forget the great responsibility that rests on our delegates, and it frequently happens that the delegates themselves treat too lightly the importance of the position to which their constituents have honored them by election. The oncoming convention will be somewhat different in many ways from previous conventions and I believe will be what may be truthfully termed a working convention. The delegates will not have the pleasure of enjoying entertainments, boat rides or pleasure trips as has been their good fortune in the past, the limited time allowed to prepare for the holding of this convention precludes the possibility of any lodge or any city being in a position to raise revenue for entertainment purposes, we also know that the local lodges as a rule have not sufficient amount of money in their treasury to take care of that feature of a convention |