The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-05-15
Observation-Disclosures, railroad attor-
neys and high safaried officials. These
do not form dine hiindredfh nnrfion of

few-mastsf-meckanics, railroad attor-
neys and high safarfed officials. These
do not form d One hundredth portion Of
the entire number. Tie average
wage worker employed BY the railroads
has long ago learned that the interests
OF such officials are not his.
4. The majority o. railroad employees
do belong to organizations Differed and
controlled by themselves. They find
that the railroads are by no means
friendly to their associations. and every
year the blacklist of their active mem
bers increases. Actual railway en-
ployes' organizations are represented
through their national organizations
and the state federation of labor.
S. Employees find by experience that
wages are fixed by the law of supply
and demand. 1t cannot be shown that
the earnings of railroads bear any rela-
tion to the wages paid by them. In the
Legislative investigation two years ago,
it was shown that the short lines be-
tween the twin cities made a profit of
100000 q year. Yet we do not hear of
their conductors or brakemen receiving
what in proportion to it's profits.
y. 1AhOUlcI lAClutHU appears Which,
makes this shrewd scheme of the rail-
road companies still more transparent.
All genuine national unions of railway
employees for many years, have been
asking for legislation providing safety
appliances on trains to minimize the
enormous loss of life among railway en-
ployes. The evil has become SO general
that President Harrison, in his message,
recommends such legislation. Some
measures of this kind were introduced
during this session. We are now told
that this alleged employees club is Y
opposed to any legislation which would
protect its W assumed member
ship and reduce that risk to life and
limb so prevalent upon railroads as they
are operated.
To show that employees are opposed to
measures new pending, petitions are
sent in from Railway Employees clubs.
These can easily be estimated at their
true value when it is unprepared long
before the legislature convened.
They were placed in the hands
of the officials holding prominent
positions and no alternative left
the ordinary employees except to sign the
petitions or receive their discharge. In
many cases the men are ignorant of the
real nature of the petitions, nor do they
dare to inquire into their object.
The railroads now profess a decidedly
friendly attitude toward their employees.
In the light of past treatment of labor
unions by railroads, we cannot reconcile
the present solicitude for employees.
From the fact that railroads are attempt
ing to use their employees who have no
option in the matter, and in the guise of
the Railway Employees club, We are
forced to conclude hat it is simply a
ruse to impose upon the sympathy of
legislators to secure more favors for the
railroads themselves. The state fedora
ton Of labor has no desire to act un-
fairly toward the railroads. nor to ey-
press any opinion as to the merits of
bills pending, but deems this cXplala-
ton due to the many employees of the
railroads who are represented in the
state federation of labor and who have
no other opportunity to be heard."-
Industrial Tribune.