St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-15

record we have made believing it win be
| surprise to many of you. 1t is one that
| should make every brother in our ranks feel
| proud. But seven short years ago eight
| brakemen employed on the Delaware & Hud.
| son Canal railroad laid the corner stone Of
| what is to-day one of the strongest organiza-
| tions of railway employees. We have at the
! present time $40 lodges located i'll the pr1n.
| cipal railway centers throughout the United
States and Canada, and membership OF
| nearly 10000. Is this pot worthy record?
| You can see by this that we have kept pace
! with the nineteenth century. which the pages
! of history will hand down to pos
/ terty us the most progressive. that
! has ever been known in the history of the
world improvement and success have been
marked in all things. We have been beses
upon all sides with difficulties, but we can
| say to-day that we have successfully over
] come them, and we have profited largely by
the experience that ii has brought us Dur.
ing the year just past we have eclpsed all
former years i'll the distribution of benefits
| to the widows and orphans of the unfortu-
nate members of our brotherhood who have
been called upon to sacrifice life or limb IN
| the line of duty. and have made glad the
hearts of many brothers that have met with
accidents. and are no longer able to follow
their chosen calling, railroading. We
have paid in Claims during the past
year S253,3l8. The great amount OF good
that this magnificent SUM has accomplished
I is beyond com prehenSion, inasmuch as it IS
distributed among class of people that are
| not blessed with any more than their share
of the world goods nor Is this all we have
accomplished. We have benefited the rails
way service by bringing men together and
teaching them the duties of man to man, and
! carrying out the great command, You are
youI brothers keeper" and. to certain exc
tent, responsible for his actions.
We make this claim here tonight, that we,
as an organization. have accomplished moro
good in the railway service i'll the past seven
years than has been done by the united
off tnII 9th nnr nh,
ings call upon us to practice benevolence in
OUR DAILY LIVES.
or to do unto others as we would that others
do unto us. We claim with just pride that as
temperance men we have accomplished moro
than prohibition has. and we do not allow
nor will we tolerate drunkenness. We have
requested at different times of those that
employed us to allow us one day in the week
for rest so that those of us who desire can
attend oivine worship. IN this we have been
unsuccessful, but we still have hopes that
this Will be accomplished in time. as we
have some good friends who are interesting
themselves in our behalf.
Did it ever occur to your minds what q
great industry railrOading is at the present
ii me- and what great army OF men are ems
ployed in this extra hazardous calnngY
There is at the present time over 10000
miles of railway in the United states, and TO
operate this vast industry it requires over
20G0,UO0 men, this of course includes all
departments, but there are 6,h00.OnO people
Statistics show that there are 1900 men
killed. and 20, 900 cripples made each year
in train service alone. This shows you how
| necessary are organizations like this one to
protect us while we live, and our
loved ones when we are gone. VIII have no
desire TO weary you with our grieV.
ances, but we want you 10 know that our
lives are not all sunshine, or our pathways
strewn with roses. When we are called to
duty we must respond, no matter what the
weather-sunshine, rain, hail. or snow-it is
all the same. While you are quietly housed
from the raging storms, the brakeman must
be out attending TO mis- duties, ever ready to
sacrifice life or limb, if needs be- to protect
the lives of your loved ones, perhaps, or to
look after the property entrusted to his care.
What does he receive for this? Barely
enough to keep himself and family from
want-a mere plttance. If should ask you
if this is as it should be. you would with one
accord say no. But again, if we rs men
should request of our employers raise of
pay, and they would pay no attention to the
request, and we were compelled by necessity
to strike. how long would we have your SYM
pathy? just so long as 1t did not interfere
with you individually. or affect your bust.
ness interests. This has been proven in the
past.
AS an organization, we have never engaged
In strike, and we have no desire to, and alb
we ask is
AFFAIR DAYS Fay
| for a fair days work. nothing for the risk we
take, for money could not pay for the life OF
one good man, to say nothing OF being made
helpless III the prime of life. The railway
corporations claim that the railroads are not
paying The interest on the money invested,
but ] assure you this is not caused by the
princely salary paid to the brakemep. We as
O class receive less pay Tor our time than any
other in the train service. Here is another
fact desire TO call yonr particular attention
to. it is the great amount of interest that is
being taken in the dear employees on some OF
the leading railway lines of this country
by the companies. Carefully note the
reasons. In the first place the company
issues circular to the effect that the COM
pany has. at great expense, adopted vol
untary relief" department. and that all EN-.
ployes who can pass a medical examination.
such as described in their rules and regula-
tions can become a member by depositlng a
stated amount of his hard earned money each
month with the company and agreeing to be
governed by the laws of the relief which
are made by the company. When an em-
ploye signs the application to become mem.
! ber of this relief he affiXes his name TO
contract releasing the said railway company
from all liabilities for damages that he may
sustain while in their employ. Insurance in
this ',reIief costs on an average about one
fourth more than in the brotherhood
and other railway organizations. An
other feature: IL a man is so unfortu.
nate as 10 be discharged by the company, or
voluntarily leaves the service, he donates all