The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-15
MASTER CAIt.BUILDERs' AssOCIA.
's.- -.'-s .it - )
TION OF THE UNITED STATES.
SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING::.
SPEECH OF MAYOR KELLEY, THE PR r..
sIDENT, AND OTHERS.

n
sfEEcH OF MAYOR KELLEY, THE PRE-
- -. sIDENT, AND OTHERS.
.........-..---- ,s :'sarr
BUsINEss TRA;NsACTED. i,
1.line Master Car-BuilderS Association n
.ne United States met in sixth annual ses
sun at" the EXCHANGE Hotel yesterda,
ttnorhlng. .Nlnety-six members were in af,
eennI9ance, besides numerous visitors. :. "
Inc president, Mr.. F. D. Adams a,
sp1ingheld, Mass, Boston and Allan
oaa,) having called the meeting To or.
G, GGsl, announced the absence Of Mfr. Hnob
y, me wee president !; whereupon AR.
I Go,Mt., van Houten, Of the Pennsylvania
10 f fai ~ aaliroad, Philadelphia, was elected
l.. ADDRESS oP WELCOME. -
General Ransom, or N orth Carolina tho,
Introduced Mavor Kelley, of Richn,ond o,rI1
VINO spoke as follows = :" toPnu, Az =,
Mr. PRESIDENT and Gentlemen.
| sulted SIMPLY my own convenience 7 vovId
cohtent myself this morning with meraiu muni.
Melcomlng you with great cordialitv to n1ir
clsyi ana congratulating YOU on tho sycl
| cesstul and peaceful manner In which 9uS, unI,
=" 80 T;rS9 TS;ssSSSoln9ii,shed J, your moyement-6 On
But in this, the first national co,,vo,.;o
OF body Of mechanics which neri,a ehsaoil u
| ever assembled in the capital of Vranipp hps
therc Is, In my judgment, a sirnifeano,,
| Which merits i Word of notice. The most
lnattentiNe observer Of current events r,,,st Ust
perceive that we are on the morr;,, ac d
great wave OF progress in the social and II ;r
dustrlal world. The practical men of tho ih,,
fcarth, the. .,,miracle-workers of ft6-dav"tbat Int
wise; and brave, and powerful BODY Of mon
| who, out, OF the CRIME and sweat Of tbs,
Work-shops, are framing those prodigies ot
modern art which surpass the fablcd ID
achievements Of the Titans, and before the
practical utility of whose labors the grand.
est monuments of ancient workmen seen
but toys-thosc grim brothers Of steam se1,f anf
fire, and electricity, who are piercing lhe
eternal Alps, and mingling the far-severeG
seas, and wedding remOtest continents
and charming time and space out Of the
lcategories of men, are coming forward ir
many lands asserting their claim to full
recognition among their fellows, and de
manding, rs they have an unquestionablc
right to demand, their full participation in
| the bencticent results Of their Wise plan
ming and their patient toll.
| Dimly, perhaps, in the present, but clear
| IL and definitely in the future, will they
discern the measure of what is due them
and prudently. and justly, and legally, vii
| they contend for it, and obtain it. --,.-
| Employers are beginning to learn thai
tariffs and taxes are too often framed to ig
more, il not to oppress them that laws arr
passed by those whose ignorance of theil
right hostility would be. The employed
are beginning to learn that when they are
not fairly paid the deficit in the just returns
of many goes to swell the already bursting
| Golfers of one. They are beginning to Learn
that when they are not promptly paid, the
| wages thus unjustly withheld is simply sc
much capital lent by the poor workman tc
| the rich company, oftcntimcS lent for Il long
PERIOD and al,cdyS acithout interest. They
are beginning to learn that when business
| is brisk they rarely get the benefit, whereas
| when it is dull they have always to suffer
| They are beginning to learn that the max.
inns of political economy, as capital has
| written them, arc 4 heartlcSs code, out OF
which charity and humanity has been elm.
mated in order that avarice might be Us
philosophical as it is profitable.
And lastly, all are learning, as this re.
spectacle and intelligent body, represent.
| ing a particular field Of labor, demon.
strateS, that Tor the betterng of their con.
dition, whether us employers or employed,
| the first step is honest, open, public co.
operation.
For these reasons l feel that I speak the
sentiment of this entire community when
l bidyou God speed in your laborS, and in
woke for you the wisdom and temperate.
| ness of counsel, out of which alone can
come solid and permanent benefit to your
craft.
M,rT 1o o11orod T., odd f,o,41on,o., +h.4
| hail this gathering with pleasure on this
further account: that it is one more link
binding together our disrupted people, and
preparing them fully to realize that in the
matchless destiny of our common country
we should all have pride, Us we shall all
have part. 1t is impossible for people to
come near to each other, by whatever ageu-
cies drawn, and maintain bitter anrmosi-
ties-least of all where they are drawn by
so many lies OF common ancestry, language,
history, and renown. .n..
Let us hope that the powerful aid of the
workingmen of the land may be lent to bury
our differences out of our sight, speeding:
the advent Of that better day when, US of
old, we shall all feel an interest and a pride
in the prosperity, happiness, and freedom
of common country"
REMARKS OF TIE PRESIDENT.
The president then spoke as follows:
"Our object in selecting Richmond as
the place tor holding our meeting tais year
was chiefly in order that we might meet
and become acquainted with the gentlemen
who occupy similar positions OH southern
railroads to those which most of us fill at
the North. We desired to exchange friend
ly greeting and information with them to
compare our experience with theirs, and
thus facilitate intercourse between all parts
of the country, and join hands, even though
it might be only to grasp an iron rail ut op-
posite ends of line extending from Maine
10 Texas. ''. '..
1t is perhaps not necessary for me to say
that we are all more accustomed to do
things than to talk of them, and know more
about handling two-foot rules than of using
the rules OF grammar and rhetoric and
accustomed to framing cars than of framing
sentences incur when speaking eXtempora-
neously, Il have taken the precaution pre-
pairing written address.
In doing so, it has occurred to me that
as many Of our members present have
Eioined our association since its organ
ization, they may not be acquainted
with it's origin, and that it might not
be uninteresting to them at least to
hear how it began. l will therefore give q
brief outline OF the circumstances that
brought us into the present organization
called the Master Car. r.BuizderS' AsSocid-
ton of the United States. ALI of US can
remember when cars were confined almost,
if not entirely, TO the roads for which they
were built and to which they belonged.
The inconvenience of transhipping freight
when carried long. distances soon made 1t