Tom Richardson, Manager Portland Commercial Club, and our Grand Chief Conductor, Brother E. E. Clark.

On Wednesday evening we were received by the Commercial Club and here once more was shown that open and warm hospitality of the west. Flowers in profusion, music and refreshments and last but most prized of all was a hearty hand clasp welcoming to the Pacific slope the visitors from all the United States, Canada and Mexico. Thursday the local lodge of our sister organization the B. of R. T., gave the visitors a boat excursion which was enjoyed by all who could attend.

Friday evening a Grand Ball was given at the armory, the Grand March being led by Brother B. E. Clark and Mrs. Dave Housten of Portland. Beautiful women, manly men, enchanting gownsoh, well, this pen of mine cannot begin to do justice to the subject, so will have to say it was one of the most enjoyable features of our stay at Portland.

Sunday, a most beautiful day, saw the visitors as guests of the managment of the Lewis and Clark Fair. The visitors were received by President Goode of the Exposition and after a short program was rendered the party repaired to the "American Inn" where luncheon was served. Afterwards the visitors scattered over the grounds and viewed the exposition as they willed.

The Grand Division of the L. A. O. R. C. closed Monday, May 15, and the Grand Division O. R. C. on Tuesday, May 16. With a parting to all our newly made friends, the St. Louis train left Portland at 1 a. m. and arrived at Seattle at 9:40, and until 12 noon the visitors scattered over the city. At 12 the steamer "Inland Flyer" with two hundred and ten of the party left pier No.2 for a tour of Puget Sound. A run of eighteen miles was made to Bremmerton. At this place the United States has a navy yard and a dry dock large enough to accommodate the largest vessel afloat. The torpedo boat "Goldsborough" and the torpedo boat destroyer "Perry" were in the navy yard, the former being dismantled of its fighting equipment and the latter with its torpedo tubes and rapid-fire guns mounted and ready for service. The latter boat was thoroughly inspected and such courtesies and attention shown the visitors that all voted Uncle Sam's officers and "Jackies" "good fellows for true". A protected cruiser was also undergoing repairs and the receiving ship "Philadelphia" was moored about one-half mile from shore but these two could not be visited owing to lack of time. On the return to Seattle we passed Port Blakely, the lagest saw mill in the world. We were also shown the sites of the disappearing coast defense guns which the government has placed for a possible foe.

At five o'clock our special pulled out of Seattle station with a feeling of gladness on the part of all that we were homeward bound, yet with that same feeling of gladness was mingled one of regret for we knew that the newly made ties would soon be severed and that for a great many of us we would probably never meet again.

From Seattle to St. Louis but few stops were made and which were uneventful. We arrived at St. Louis at 5 o'clock Sunday, May 21, and with

Referring to bill before Congress, printed in January number, pages 40 and 41; do the members of all organized labor realize the vast amount of good and prestige they can offer for the passage of this important measure. Think the bill ought to be reprinted in each issue of THE CONDUCTOR and also publications of all other Sister organizations.

Each Division ought to have enough copies, on which to secure names of all members, citizens, etc., and mail one copy to each senator and representative of each state. The number of names representing so many votes ought to bear a great deal of weight with the Senator or Representative receiving it.

Later, after the bill has been numbered, and reference can be made to it by ist number, each member of all organizations O. R. C., B. L. E., B. L. F., B. R. T. ought to write each of their representatives and Senators a personal letter referring to the bill and enjoining its passage.

If you can deluge each member of Congress and each senator with 250,000 or 300,000 letters besides signed petitions relating to some bill we ought to present some force. A MEMBER. Temple, Texas.

ར་

Editor Railway Conductor:

The following is a plea against reduction of rates, made at their request before the Railroad Commissioners of the State of Georgia :

A year ago I had the honor to be appointed by Division 180 of the Order of Railway Conductors chairman of the committee named by the Division to protest against the reduction of railroad rates in the State of Georgia. This year I have been continued in this capacity by the Division, with instructions to continue steadfastly to oppose the proposed reductions. Being advised by the Secretary of your Honorable Board that the question of reducing passenger rates is soon to come before the Board, and being further advised that the Board desires to hear from all parties at interest upon this question, I desire for myself and for Division 180 of the Order of Railway Conductors to submit the following facts to you:

First. I am a wage earner and represent wage earners who are dependent for a livelihood upon the wages which they receive for their labor. I do not own a single share of railroad stock or a single railroad bond. I have been for nearly thirtyseven years with the Atlanta & West Point Railroad.

Thus I feel that my experience and observation have equipped me with some considerable knowledge of the subject of railroad rates, and I realize the gravity of the question soon to come before you for determination. I will briefly present a few facts, taking for illustration the Atlanta &

West Point management from 1868, as I am familiar with this line to Montgomery, Alabama. Although this road has been ably managed from its infancy, the fact of other lines having come into competition with it has made the strictest economy necessary in order to make it a reasonable investment, or, in fact, paying property at all. Twelve miles of our passenger traffic from Red Oak to Atlanta has been cut off by the street railroad.

Besides all these, we have encountered financia disaster by heavy rains and in times of contagion and public scare by quarantine laws. Cross ties and the material for cross ties are not available now at the same cost of former years, but the cost has advanced. Neither is the material available for cross ties as good now as formerly, for the old oak tie (gone now) used to last 12 or 15 years. The only available ties for the tracks now will last only 3 to 5 years. The country's being cleaned up of practically all timber, causes the waters to rush on the track in many unexpected places, endangering both life and property. For this reason, rock ballast is an absolute necessity, and the cost of this one item alone is a considerable one.. It is true that the Atlanta & West Point has made large earnings, but these have been due not entirely to natural advantages or great prosperity, but to the exceedingly able, careful and economical way in which the road has been and is now being managed. It is operated skillfully and very cheaply in all departments, and the capable and faithful employes of the road have been steadfastly retained in service, thus continuing the same methods and reducing the risks and cost to a minimum. Offices have been combined to reduce the cost of operation, the president serving also as general manager, while the chief clerk to the president is likewise the purchasing agent of the road. This cuts out extra salaries and reduces the cost of operation.

The business methods of railroads are so fair and just to the people of Georgia, as compared with many other corporations, that I wish to ask your indulgence in considering some of them. The more the railroad corporation makes, the greater its ability to serve the public and the greater the demand upon it for public service. Conventions, associations, public services of all kinds are favored with low rates and skilled handling. They are served well, and the possibility of these great conventions and associations is due mainly if not wholly to the railroads.

The fight on the railroads for the reduction of rates is not being made by the producer or by the consumer. It is being made by the middle men, inspired by a desire to add to their profits, not by any wish to add to the wealth of either the producer or the consumer. Should reduction be given them, I do not believe that they will ever give the consumer the benefit of this reduction, and thus take away from the revenues of the roads without helping the public.

This is just what these middlemen have done in the past. The proposition is to cripple the railroads by a reduction of rates while still squeezing the masses, the consumers. The hue and cry now being raised against the railroads in Georgia is not

for the benefit of the people. If the railroads are crippled, the service they are able to give the public will be crippled, the public will suffer and will gain no advantage from the reduction in rates. As for passenger rates, the railroads already give a two-cent rate which can be used on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The traveling men get their mileage tickets at reduced rates. The merchants get commutation tickets which seem to be satisfactory. Nearly all of the money at three cents a mile comes from people passing through the state, and not from our own people.

A glance at the railroad map will show you that the Atlanta & West Point Railroad is at the mercy of great competing lines on both sides. These get the first haul and control the freight and passenger rates, while the Atlanta & West Point freight and passenger agents have to dig up what they get. If this road is not kept up to its present standard and allowed its present rates, it will go down both in its physical and financial condition, which will be a great hurt to the employes of the road, to the wage earners, whom I represent before you.

Transportation is progressive. Inaugurated in Egypt, it extended over Asia and Europe and then over America; from the camel's back it came to wagons and stages and on up to railroads, giving speed, safety and satisfactory service. You build and labor upon railroads for the welfare of the state and its people. Cripple the railroads, and you cripple the state and its people.

We kindly ask you to lay the tomahawk down, suspend the giant arm of the law for a few years, and you will cause competing lines to double their tracks through the state and on to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, making the state of Georgia a network of railroads for the use of the people and helping to pay the taxes of this great commonwealth, giving steady work to the wage-earning classes, increasing the value of property, and bringing prosperity to the state. The railroads are doing a great work and will do more under present rates and conditions for the people in one year than the reduced rates would do in fifty. Atlanta, Ga.

མ་

Editor Railway Conductor:

ZACH. MARTIN.

Brother W. H. Bentley gives us a touch of what railroading of today is in the April CONDUCTOR. Brother B. is right about it being all hurry and worry. My advice to the conductor of today is to do your work the very best you know how with the least possible delay, and let the other fellow do the worrying. Worry won't chain up cars, put in brasses, or switch crippled cars hehind. There is one thing it will do: it will make gray hairs come in your old head five years sooner than they should.

Division 379 ought in the near future to double its membership, if we succeed in getting the A. K. & N. conductors, which we should.

Brother W. C Killinger had the misfortune to lose a leg in a head-end collision near Shawanee, Tenn., January 22d. He is doing nicely. While his misfortune is bad enough it could have been much worse.

Brothers W. L. Surran and Joe Doody are building a good hotel near yard office. Brother Chas.

Hays has just completed a restaurant with bed rooms up stairs and can now feed the boys on short notice.

Mr. Sherman, our clever air instructor, was in town the last of April and first of May, and some of the boys have almost got air wheels in their heads, testing and tracing air all over town.

Wars, rumors of wars, strikes, Parryism, Socialism, murder, and a host of other things almost as bad, in the headlines of almost every paper of today! What's the trouble. What makes Smith grunt when he meets Jones, when it would be much easier for him to speak. Let's see if we can't locate the trouble. Gen. 6:5: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of his heart was only evil (every day) continually." You say, Oh, that's heart trouble. Yes, there is a lot of us got heart trouble awful bad. Gen. 8:21: "For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." We have left many kind words unsaid which might have been the means of some poor soul being saved. Kind words cost so little and yet they are worth so much. I believe it is by and through the prayers of the righteous that many of our lives have been spared. It seems so hard for some of us to get right in the sight of God. Just when many of us are almost persuaded, some evil thought (the devil, I suppose) comes in between us and right and says, Don't get in a hurry; next year will do. You will live a long time yet. You can have a good time serving me. I will give you a whole year to drink, swear, lie and steal. There are others serving the same master, my friend, who may have his gun loaded for you now. I know you don't want to be killed in one of those dives. Take the advice of a friend and keep clear of these places. It does seem that some people would not live right if they could ever so easily. Eccl. 9:3: "Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live." We meet men today who are pictures of the above, living for Satan every day. We would feel much better if we would get rid of those old, long, graveyard faces we wear, and try smiling once in a while. Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Matt. 15:19: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts." Is it any wonder this country of ours is going wrong-when we have so many cases of heart trouble. You ask, How are we to remedy this trouble. The first thing to do is to get right ourselves and then we can help others to get right. Don't vote for a man simply because he belongs to our party, but vote for him because he is a man, an upright, christian gentleman. Our laws are all right; what we want is men to enforce them. We want men in our offices that money won't buy, men who will convict a guilty man who has a barrel of money and his fix doom at the end of a rope if necessary. Elect men to offices who will fill them right, and we will see one of the greatest changes this generation has ever witnessed. Too many offices being filled by men who are hanging to Satan with one hand and hanging to the prisoner who has the almighty dollar with the other. Who is at fault, the officer or the people. The people are mostly to blame;

they have elected him to office and he has been taught to take all he could get in the way of money. If we will get right ourselves, we will be surprised to see the good we can accomplish in everyday life. Some one has said, "Let us vote as we pray." This doctrine will, do only for a few. There are too many of us who don't pray at all. And sometimes we are made to believe that about one-half of praying people's prayers amount to about as much as the old lady's did When who prayed for the mountain to be moved. she looked out at the mountain next morning she declared that she saw just what she expected. She did not expect the mountain to be moved. No, faith is one of the best proofs of heart trouble. Let's get right. L. A. ANDERS. Corbin, Ky.

visitors went to the Windsor hotel, where over one hundred sat down to a sumptuous and wellserved banquet. Division 403 is coming along slowly but surely.

Brothers, there seems to be somewhat of an alarm among some of the railway men caused by what some people are pleased to call an attack on our pay car. I do not believe there is any cause for alarm, for I can not find, by careful reading up on this subject, that there is any attack to be made on our pay car, intentionally or otherwise.

As I understand this subject, the trusts have managed to get a hold on the railroads sufficient to enable them to manipulate freight rates for their own selfish interests, and in order that they may have a better opportunity to questionably increase their wealth. And it seems to be necessary, if our government dissolves the trusts, that it should regulate railroad rates, by the manipulation of which the trusts are enabled to amass great wealth.

This reform which the President has undertaken means a great good to the laboring people, and especially to those of them who have large families to support; and the success of his undertaking depends on the support he gets from the common people. I do not believe a trust has any excuse for existing. Nor do I think that any citizen in this country can show where a trust has been of any benefit to a laboring man. Therefore I do not believe it good policy for the laboring man to support the trusts to the time when the commandment "Thou shalt not steal" shall be changed to Thou shalt not think. It is a reflection on the voters of this country that these trusts are flourishing as they are.

Some claimed that the high tariff, under which the trusts have grown up like mushrooms, was to protect the American laborer against the foreign pauper labor. The person who makes this statement does not know what he is talking about or he is trying to mislead. This high tariff has about as much to do with the setting of the price on labor as it has to do with the rising and setting of the sun; for the American workman has always been left by these professed sympathizers in open competition with the pauper labor of Europe, and the price of labor has been set by supply and demand. In every case where labor has raised itself above this level it has not been due to any tariff, but to the pressing invitation of a well-organized labor union which the employers did not deem it practical to ignore. Outside of labor unions, if wages are higher here than in other countries, it is wholly due to supply and demand.

I see by our March number of THE CONDUCTOR that President Tuttle of the B. & M. has been talking to some of the conductors relative to the regulation of freight rates; and although he failed to show definitely that the rate regulation would decrease the gross or net earnings of the railroads, he made great use of the phrase, "The attack on the pay car." Now, Brothers, if the General Committees on your systems had always abided by what the president or general manager had to say, what benefits would you have got. Have you not, in every case where you have got a benefit, got it by independent thought.-thought adverse to what

are fully considered, it is in evidence that a president of a large railroad is not at liberty to declare against a trust owing to business connections with them. Neither would it be practicable for him to defend them before the common people.

Now, Brothers, I have never voted the Republican ticket (some of the reasons can be traced from this letter), nor have I voted any other ticket (except twice), although I have been a voter for twenty-eight years. The principal reason is that the laboring man is so little represented by political parties. But when I find a President of the United States who has the courage to stand by the laboring man, I believe it is the duty of every laboring man to stand by him, regardless of the political flag under which he may be sailing. Bangor, Maine. DOCTOR.

༢༦

Editor Railway Conductor:

Our correspondent is either asleep or someone has pulled the air on him, as Division 392 has not been heard from for one year.

At present we are overrun with freight business, the largest ever done on this end of the Santa Fe, with every available man working. No bucking the slow board at the present time. Our orange business is at its height, and something like 28,000 cars will be our crop this season. We have had quite a number of washouts and landslides in Cajon Pass, but everything has been filled in, new bridges put in, and now trains are running normally.

Our Los Angeles division officials are made out of the very best material and are practical railroad men of long experience, and of course are therefore very much liked by the conductors and trainmen working under their supervision, and we are always sure of a square deal at their hands. The only kick we have at present is that the caboose is too far from the engine, but big "drags" is the motto of railroads nowadays all over the country, so we are no worse off than our Eastern Brothers. Big engines, big cars, but the men are no larger, although our pay checks are possibly larger than our Eastern Brothers get; and taking the climate into consideration, I think we have the best of them.

Our Division is in perfect running order with our popular officers doing efficient and faithful service; but I regret to say our meetings are poorly attended recently, perhaps partly due to the men running hard. Members cannot vote on questions brought before the Division if they stay at home on meeting nights; neither can they say anything for the good of the Order unless they attend meetings. Members in town on meeting nights who go to places of amusement, just put yourselves in the place of one of the officers when he walks into the Division room and sees three or four Brothers patiently waiting for others to come and make a quorum in order to open, and you would no doubt feel as the actor does when playing to empty chairs have very little heart in the work.

Now, a word as to our goat. He is quite busy, for we have a new candidate nearly every meeting night, so I assure you his horns are not growing rusty. If any of our Brothers are taking a vaca

tion, and come this way, if they will drop around we will show them a good time.

The different runs out of here, both freight and passenger, are cared for by as efficient a bunch of railroad men as are to be found anywhere in the Iand.

Brother Heitzmann, according to his letter in the April issue, is on the right track regarding the $300,000 reserve fund to pay and help the old conductor when he reaches the age of sixty-five, when no railroad on earth has any use for him; but I do not agree with Brother Baker's policy of taking from the beneficiaries a certain per cent. of the face value of the policy, and I hope this amendment will be snowed under so deep that a rotary plow could never dig it out.

Sister Tracy, whose letter was in the same issue, has certainly been misinformed as to the Brothers of Division 392 being asleep. It is not the fault of the Brothers that San Bernardino has not an Auxiliary, as we kept our Division room open at one of our meeting nights until midnight waiting for the ladies to arrive to organize, but only two put in an appearance. Some said it was too much trouble to dress for the occasion; other could not find their rats for their hair, and numerous other excuses of equal or less weight. You know when the ladies will not, there is no alternative. But I admire and appreciate Mrs. Tracy's efforts to locate an Auxiliary here, and if she can instill enough interest into her Sisters to accomplish that end, we will heartily cooperate with her.

In conclusion will say, if there is any contention or slander among us, let it cease. When a Brother falls, help him to his feet again. Let a spirit of brotherly love prevail. Come to meetings and erect a monument of brotherly love, unionism and charity which will always stand.

At this writing the Grand Division is in session at Portland, Oregon, and for the second time since 1886 circumstances are such that I am unable to attend the meeting of that body.

I am quite confident that the interests of the conductors will be carefully watched and well cared for by this Grand Division.

I am running a train on the Valley Division of I. M. & S. Ry.; have been here since last November and found a good set of conductors here. I do not think there is a man here on freight or passenger who is not a member of the Order; pretty good record is it not? Our officials are perhaps not the very best in the world, but I will say there are none better. (Now don't get that mixed.) Our brakemen are a little off color, or more correctly speaking, are colored; but they can't help that-they were born so. Some of them are very good and some of them are very poor excuses for brakemen. The track is not so good as some I have seen, but we hope it will be better soon. Apropos of the track, I had a fine run a few days ago. Was on the "Red Ball," right on time at every station. The box car caboose rode like a coach, and I told myself that at last the "Tin Horn" was as good as any of George's roads, and none are any better; but while I was in a good humor with myself and the whole

world besides, one of the brakemen said, "Look out, Cap; about fou' o' dem cahs done tuhned oveh." Then I turned over in bed and went to sleep again. Now, Brother Brosius (in the May CONDUCTOR), I am not stealing from you, for, honest, I had that written before I saw the May CONDUCTOR and had to write it all over again to put this explanation in.

I fully agree with the ideas expressed in the editorial in May CONDUCTOR entitled, "The Social Side of the O. R. C." Social intercourse and the exchange of ideas go far towards making men and women broader in their views and help them to understand that there are many people besides themselves who are entitled to their opinions and perhaps pretty nearly as good fellows as we are ourselves. It also teaches us that we are not intended to plod along in the same old rut, but that we can, to a certain extent at least, make a place for ourselves in the world. I believe there is no education so thorough as that gained by contact with the public, not in a morose and surly manner, but socially and observantly. That fits a man as nothing else can to earn a living without doing hard work for starvation wages. The ladies take greater pleasure in visiting and getting to know each other, and in that manner provide a way to keep from getting lonesome and homesick when they are obliged to go with us to a "strange land." And this part of it does not hurt us, either. Alexandria, La. J. W. WAYLAND.

༢༦

Editor Railway Conductor:

I suppose you think Collins Division 5 has lost all respect for THE CONDUCTOR.

The results of our convention we await with confidence, resting assured there will be nothing done that will prove detrimental to our future welfare. No. 5 can not over estimate the services of its officers in past, and always selects men in whom confidence has never been betrayed, and on this, with the assistance of our Grand Division officers and honorable delegate, we place the responsibilities of our future success. No. 5 has never reached its meridian and does not claim those honors, but does claim to be gradually climbing, with ambition for higher honors and higher recognition. We are receiving the young conductors of various railways into the secrets of our Order and endeavoring to prepare them for a more qualified life, and assisting them that they may become better conductors, and by our assistance better prepared to assume the many responsibilities their daily runs may bring them, remembering the sacred words, we should all to some extent realize we are our Brother's keeper. A. D. ROSIER. Philadelphia, Pa.