The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-23

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
In your issue Of May 20, appended TO reprint
of the law passed by the Legislature. to prevent
enforced contributions of money by corporations
for the maintenance of hospitals, reading rooms,
ETC.. which law goes into effect next month, ]
find the following paragraph:
THAT railroad employees have a right to dis
pose of their hard-earned wages they see fit is
an indisputable fact. and that any man who
possesses enough Intelligence TO perform his
duties on a railway satisfactorily does not need
guardian to dictate how he shall spend it to
the best advantage, is equally true; yet it is
equally true that should an employe, refuse to
aid charitable enterprises of the above character
road will have right to drop him from their
service"
This law was enacted at the demand of en-
ployes of the Wabash Railway Company, who
have, for the past year, been arbitrarily COM
PEELED to submit to monthly deduction of from
thirty five to fifty cents for the maintenance of
two hospitals, both located in Ilinois--one at
Danville and theotherat Springfield. 1t there
fore especially concerns the employees of that
road, and it is in their behalf this communica-
ton is sent
There is an impression that the Journal
speaks by authority when it intimates that en-
ployes declining to be longer bled will shave a
right" to be dropped from the service of the
company. 1t his believed that the company will
adopt that procedure and before the issue is
Joined the public ought TO be enlightened regard
Ing the reasons why the employees will protest
The first great objection to the Wabash hos
pltal scheme is .cne of prqprietorship These
hospitals, so far have been bought with money
reluctantly forced from employees, and the prop
erty thus acquired is the property Of the COM
pany They do not belong to the men, nor is
there any guarantee that they viii be used for
ha chocal Jo,n %1,a,,
pany may see fit The employees have no voice
IN their location or management-no report is
ever made OF the receipts or expenditures. If
there Is surplus fund collected, it is not known
to what purpose it lis diverted. 1t is believed
the amount collected for the hospitals is far in
excess of the amount required to maintain them,
and while this impression obtains there will al
ways be suspicion that the scheme is a Sob"
second objection is the fact that there is no
certainty of benefits even for those who desire
to avail themselves of treatment at the hospitals.
The Cairo division of the Wabash, the Havana
division, and, possibly, the l., P. g. c. division,
have been dropped from the Wabash system.
The employees on these lines have probably "con-
tributed" from Sc 900 to $40 900 to the hospitals
They are no longer servants of the Wabash, and
hence no longer privileged to secure whatever
benefits might possibly result This is rank
injustice But this is not all. An employee may
faithfully serve the company ten years, 'con-
tributlng" monthly to the hospital fund, and then
lose his job. If an accident overtake him the
next day, or sickness. he is debarred from the
alleged benefits
Third-The hospitals are not uniform in their
benefits: The man of family, the prudent house
holder, in case Of Sickness prefers and expects
to remain at home. On the other hand, the i'm
provident and reckless railroader, the rollcking
roustabout, is quick to go to the hospital on the
slightest pretext. The money,exacted from the
prudent nam is spent to care for the spenathriBt
Fourth-As class, railroad men with any
foresight carry accident insurance, either in
some accident company or with some of the
brotherhoods This tax for the hospitals is an
additional burden. 1t does not commend itself
1t is a stand and deliver" demand which arouses
ill-wilL 1t is not voluntary and therefore breeds
INSTRUMENTATION among the employees
The State of Indiana having prohibited the col
lection of enforced contributions, viii. not the
dropping" of employees from the roll of a cor
poration because they refuse to consent to such
collections, result in enforced collections from
other employees? Is it not clear violation of
the letter and the spimt of the law when semi
official announcement is made that parties re-
fusing to submit to such demands will. be
"dropped2' If not unlawful, it is as clear case
OF "bulldozing" occurred even in the
kuklux- ridden sections of the South.
The Wabash company is in ''hard lines" and
the sooner it concludes to obey the law of the
State in this matter, the sooner will it command
the respect of the public, and the good will and
hearty servicesof It's employees.
RAILROADER.