The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-17
AMONG RAILROAD MEN.
Statistics of the Firemen's
Brotherhood Read
By Grand Master Sargent at the
Galveston Meeting.
Items of Interest About Kansas Rail
road Matters Personals and
Miscellaneous.

At the opening session of the national
convention of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen at Galveston, Texas,
Grand Master F. P. Sargent read his
report, in which he especially urged
thorough organization of the legislative
boards in the several states, and said
that these boards could do this without
afhiliating with any political party.
He said detrimental laws should be re-
moved by legislation.
He recommended that the order seek
utilization with the American Fedora
ton of Labor, and urged the convention
to appoint a committee to draw up a
plan to be submitted to the other rail-
road organizations looking to fedora
ton.
He also recommended that the grand
lodge meet triennially hereafter, and
said that during the last few years
conditions had arisen which made it
almost impossible to obtain transpor-
tation for delegates, and the meetings
Mr.. Sargent said: e'There is spring
ing up among the members of our lOdg-
eS IN certain localities a bitter feeling
on account of the religious views of
some of the members. / am very sorry
to say that it has come very near ruin
ing many of our lodges. This, to me,
is very deplorable. L had hoped the
of such disastrous results; that the
members would be broad minded enough
to allow each member to worship God
as he saw fit.
Since the organization of the bene-
hciary department So, $50. 621.20 have
been paid to the widows, orphans and
disabled brothers. There seems to be
a desire on the part of many brothers
to be more liberal
1T is believed by many that a man
should receive his full benefit when he
is incapable of working on an engine.
We're TINS TO result how long would the
beneficiary department last? There are
not less than 1000 members who are
disqualified from running an engine
yet are making a living for their fami-
lies. The enactment of a law allowing
these 1000 claims would destroy the
beneficiary department. There are men
who were temporarily disabled, but
now running engines, who are laughing
in their sleeves at securing their insur-
ance from the order"
During the two fiscal years ending
June 80 1896, Mr.. Sargent Travelled in
the interest of the order "a 799 miles
During the same period of time % char
tiers were reclaimed by lodges in var
ious parts of the country, 80 lodges
surrendered their charters and AZ new
lodges were organized.
Mr.. Sargent opposed the proposed
amendment to make the dues payable
vance. He recommended that there be
created board of appeals, consisting
of three members, to be elected by
the convention, to pass only upon ap-
peals taken by the grand officers from
the decision of the executive board. He
was in hearty accord with the PROPOSE
ton to bond the grand officers and Off
GERS of local lodges.
Mr. Sargent then gave a number of
statistics regarding the order. Total
number of members in road service and
members of B. L. E, $50; number in
switching service, members of B. l.
E., 1856; number of members in road ser
vice, 2,26S; number in switching service
LIS; number of engineer members out
OF employment 178; number employed
as engineers, 4,572. Total number of
members firing in road service IL OPS:
number firing in switching service. l.
24O; number employed as hostlers, 677;
number of members actually employed
as enginemen, 17,139; members not en-
gagged in railroad service, 1918; out Of
employment 49S.
Mr.. Sargent then followed with some
statistics of wages earned by members
of the order in the three divisions the
average being: Road engineers. $117.S1;
switch engineers, $80.52; hostlers. S61. O4;
road hremen, $61.19; switch firemen,
$4707. Average length of service of
hremen before promotion, six and one
third years.
Our active membership shown on
the grand register on June go is %, 461
Of this number 1, 407 carry $500 bene-
hciary certificates, S44 carry 81 900 GER
uf1cates, and the balance, %, O76, are
carrying $500 certificates The total
explosions from January l. 1895, to
June 80, 1895, were 2,43O. The total ex-
pulsions for the two fiscal years are s.
1853 The larger proportion of these ex-
puls1OnS occurred during the panic and
cyclone of 1894, which swept so disas-
trously over the country The total
number of withdrawal cards during the
t wO fiscal years were 2, 49,
Mr.. Sargent recommended that the
next grand lodge meeting be held at
Peoria
In speaking of the subject of trans
portation Mr.. Sargent said that if we
treat our employers with as much con-
sideratiOn as our grand lodge is treat
ed by these gentlemen there will never
be any repetition Of what occurred in
1884,