that shaking of heads in a horizontal direction? Why not bury old Mister Gloom!

Somebody started the movement and some of the members are boosting. For example, two new lodges were organized within the past two weeks and we expect two more by the first of the month. Old lodges have sent in twenty-five, twenty, fifteen and SO on. Hardly a day passes by but what Uncle Sam brings us good tidings. So you see Old Boy Dope is not far off in his calculations.

We seek to lead the non-members into the light. There are so many of them that we must create a regiment of volunteers to assist us. If you have not enlisted in the ranks, now is the time for all good, faithful members to come to the aid of the Brotherhood. To show that we will appreciate your co-operation, we make the following offer to all members in good standing:

Send us an article for publication in the January issue of THE RAILWAY CLERK containing a good stiff argument as to "Why the Railway Clerks Should Organize." Give the non-members the reason why you belong to the Brotherhood and show what benefits you have derived from your membership.

For the best article submitted, a solid gold B. of R. C. button will be awarded the contributor.

For the second best article we will present a gold plated watch fob, emblematic of the Brotherhood.

For the third prize, we are offering a durable leather pocket-book and card case.

There is no limit to the length of these contributions. The only specification is that all participants in this contest must submit their articles so as to reach the editor not later than December 31st.

The contest is on. Get busy at once. We are expectantly awaiting your entry in the race.

Let's all pull together for one big magazine in January!

MORE ABOUT THE MICHIGAN CEN

TRAL STRIKE.

In the November issue I gave an account of the strike of the Michigan Central Clerks, up to the time of going to press. Since that article was written the strike has been terminated, with what results will be told further along in this report, but before giving that I want to go more into detail regarding our efforts to prevent a strike and the part played by Chi

cago, both before and after the strike was called. As stated in the former article, no strike would have taken place had it not been for the representations made and the insistance of Chicago, or rather those they had chosen to represent them, and especially their locai chairman and member of the committee, John T. Devine.

The article in the November issue covered, fairly well, the details up to the time when the committee was last called to Detroit, Friday, October 22nd. Hence it will not be necessary for me to go back of that date, but there are further pertinent facts connected with that meeting and the one held the following afternoon, that were not given in the previous article, which had an influence on the committee and its action in calling a strike and which I feel all our members should be made acquainted with. Therefore I will again take the matter up with that meeting. At that meeting, the Government representative, Hon, John A. Moffitt, requested to be permitted to make another effort, which request was granted. He then arranged with the general manager for another conference for the following day, Saturday, October 23rd, at 10:00 a. m., and left with the understanding that, if he could not arrange to bring the contending parties together he would try to get the officials to agree to mediation. During this meeting there was much discussion as to how far we could recede and accept what might be offered through mediation for the time being and retire with honor, to come up again at some future date when we would be better prepared and when the time was more opportune. Nearly the entire membership of the committee favored an honorable settlement for the time being, on the best terms the mediator might be able to make, Devine alone standing out for a flat increase in pay of $5.00 per month for all clerks. However, it was agreed to permit Mr. Moffitt to make another attempt and to await his report before definitely deciding on any course of action. The meeting adjourned with the understanding that it was to reconvene the following day at 10.00 a. m. and await Mr. Moffitt's report. It was also understood that none of the committee were to absent themselves from the hotel without leaving word where they could be found. The next morning, about 8.30, I received a telephone call from Brother James Anderson, of the Detroit local office, requesting me to send Mr. Devine and one or two of the other brother members of the committee down to that office to have a talk with

some of the clerks, who had been given to understand that Chicago was not organized and would not support the committee if it called a strike. I immediately called for Mr. Devine and was surprised to find that, contrary to the understanding, he had left the hotel alone, could not be found and that none of the committee knew where he had gone or why he had left. About 10.15 a. m. Devine showed up and when asked where he had been replied that he had got tired of hanging around and taken a walk. In the meantime our members at the Detroit local office, Brothers Anderson, Secord and others called me on the telephone and urged me to send him, accompanied by one or two others, down to see them. I selected Brothers Kelb, of Toledo, and Rouech, of Bay City, to go with him, and sent them down to the local office as per the request of our members there.

What took place there I can only give as reported to me by those present, Brothers Kelb, Rouech and Stringham, of the General Committee and Brother Anderson and Mr. Ed. McLean of the local office. Mr. McLean was not a member of the Brotherhood and was skeptical about Chicago supporting the committee and wanted to find out just how that city stood before deciding whether he would join the strike if one was called. He put the matter squarely up to Devine and was assured that Chicago was all right and would walk 99 per cent strong. Mr. McLean inquired of Devine about the heads of the different departments in Chicago and was informed that every one of them were members and would walk if called on to do so, he, Devine, volunteering the further information that he, himself, was the highest paid clerk in the Chicago office and was slated for advancement to the position of chief clerk, but that these matters would have no influence on him, that there were conditions in the Chicago office that must be improved and that he was with the clerks to a finish fight if such should become necessary to bring about that improvement. It was, without doubt, because of these statements made to Mr. McLean and others of the Detroit local office clerks by Devine that they became so militant and determined to strike unless their requests were complied with by the officials. No one doubts, I think, that it was these statements that influenced Ed McLean to join the strike, take charge of it and become its leader at Detroit.

The government conciliator, after an all-day session with the officials of the company re

turned to the hotel late in the afternoon to report what he had accomplished. The very first thing he did after the committee was convened was to ask the question, "Who's the man." This question he repeated several times and then, to our surprise, informed us that the General Superintendent had a complete report of everything that had taken place at the committee meeting the previous night. He further informed us that it was in typewritten form, written on a machine with small type and a green ribbon. We at once knew that someone had gone to the General Superintendent's office and given him the information. How did we know this? Why, because the General Superintendent is the only official or employee on the Michigan Central that uses a machine with small type and green ribbon, that being his own peculiar mark. This matter was discussed for some considerable time. I did not believe at that time, though I have since had good reason to change my opinion, that any member of the committee was so void of manhood as to have forgotten his obligation, proved traitor to his fellow clerks and sold them for the proverbial "thirty pieces of silver." I, at the time, thought it possible that some one in the employ of the railroad had so situated himself somewhere on the outside as to be able to overhear our discussions and had reported them to the General Manager. Some of the members of the committee thought as I did, but there were other members that did not, though they said nothing to me about their ideas until some days later.

But to get back to the meeting and the further report of Conciliator Moffitt. After having advised us of the above he, the Conciliator, advised that he thought it possible to arrive at a settlement through mediation and suggested that we revise our proposed schedule, cutting it down as much as possible and have it ready for him on the following Monday morning, October 25th, at nine o'clock. We agreed to this and it was decided to leave the revision and further negotiations in the hands of a sub-committee of four, thus permitting the rest of the committee members to return to their homes and duties. For this sub-committee were chosen, the Chairman, Brother S. C. Mansell and Brothers C. F. Kelb, Toledo, A. N. Rouech, Bay City, and J. T. Devine, Chicago. Devine immediately declined to serve, giving as a reason that he was needed at his home, Chicago, to hold the clerks at that station in line and prevent them from taking matters into