The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-08-09
sociatlon OF America. same to take efr,ct

In taking this step I am simply acting
Tor the best interests of this division Of
honor that our members conferred M. ~
me at Dallas last April. 1 was in a position
70 accept the high office of president of
| this division and could devote reasonable
share OF my time to the work Incident
| thereto and to the upbuilding of our order
as best ] might In this. one OF the best
state divisions in the National ussocia-
tion But since i accepted this office my
business affairs have so changed that il
WI be utterly impossible fer me to con
| tinue in office and do justice to the asso-
citation. y member to I'LL this office prop
erly, should be footloose and SO situated
that he could give it as much attention as
parts of the State at any time that his
presence there would be Of service TO tho
association. There are new posts to he
| orgunized, and the president should he
there to organize them, by all means, but,
| as am situated now, 1t is simply impos-
s snn,ri iHr me to make these trips. was
order To attend this meeting here to-
night.
VIII admit that l owe much to this as
ISOLATION. but / owe much more TO my
one or the other would havs To-
sed nGsL,e,sd r ! Wire to remain in office,
pigeon ,holed. Hence 1t is that | resign
the office to one who can give 1t proper
attention.
This. in n measure, will account for my
seeming negligence in not appointing "A
chairman of the railroad and legislative
committe' $, as i preferred to leave the
way clear to my successor to appoint such
members as would work to the best adj
vantage of the association under his ad-
ministrdt!on.
have appointed good men as chairman
OF the press, hotel and employment conf
| inittees. and If might do so without i'm
propriety, ! would recommend that my
successor retain them in office to the end
of this fiscal year.
1T has been my intention to preside at
this meeting and to settle all of our bust
ness to date as near as possible, in order
TO enable my successor to come into office
encountered as little as possible. At this
period In our history We should have an
asshessiVe and hard working admtnstrG-
ton especially 50 as regards our work
win the railroad companies. There have
pen tiines-itnd not SO Very long passed
mat the railroads seemed to appreciate
the value of the good Will of the members
OF our association. hut that time seems
tq nave passed as was evidenced by the
treatment melted out to us hy the South
western passenger committee on the occi,
son of the annual meeting of our Ma
tIonal association held at Terre Haute on
June l last, ON that occasion | opened
up.o rather tried to--corrcspondcnce
with the general passenger agents of ,nt.
ioli' Wig reads leading from Texas To St
LOUIS, MO: MISSOURI, K@nsas and Texas;
sun, colorado ana Santa Fc, Taxas and
dcifh. Cotton Belt, and International a al
,,reat northern of these five above MN
toned, only Two made any reply at all.
aai thor replies gave us no hone of A re.
duced rate. These letters OF miue were
from the others NTH Nav IS sw Sni tbe TspE
otrssed them an again. and this timl but
three answered each of the same purport
SIMPLY stating that NJ soon as they got
adNices from the Southwestern passenger
committee they would notify m. of sau,c.
n,u i waited loi the letter that never
The Missouri. X ,nsas and Texas never re-
piled TO either OF my two letters. MOI did
iN pay any more attention TO them ,htu
II they mad been addressed TO him by the
rlost profiigh'e tramp in America who
was demanding complimentary pas,
from san Francisco to New York with
Sleeping and dining car service included
shabby treatment from business men hold
ing as nigh office as these mon do. Gem
men would certainly demand n reply to "A
business letter of any kind Had a Ike
loqlest heon made of these men by an
agent of II thcater troop OF ten persons
tine last one of them would have rushed
TO said agent with unusually reduced rates
ana an exirt allowance of baggage up to
al ielSt Tour hundred pounds to each per
son. Now, why such Discrimination IA
mad" against us, who are travelling freight
ana passenger agents for all these roads
ana night in the year, Is more than | am
able to comprehend. In fact. we worl;
hart and successfully for them, for no
hopc that my successor Will be able TO-
WIN the h1ip of his railroad committee
and the help of every member OF this
division, bring these railroad manage
ments to understand that We want no war
with them, but at the same tim, We do
want Justice and want 10 secure 1t PEACE
ahlN but that. if the occasion demands
that We go TO war tor our rights, we viii
not hesitate to do so.
Other branches of our work demand an
aggressive. administration also, but We
have been treated shabhily by the rail
road companies. and this branch ht lng IN,
that we ara all so thoroughly interested
IN Is my excuse for dwelling on tho sub
jeot at length.
! thank you. gentlemen. for your kind
attention. and | also wish TO thank
every member of the TeXas division.
through YOU, for the honor bestowed upon
mo in clecting me 10 this high office.
only regret that am unable 10 carry nut
my term of ofiice with good results 10
the association and honor 10 myself Rest
assured that will always be a loyal mem
her OF the Travellers Protective associa-
tom and shall stand ready at any and all
times to do what good ! can for 1t In my
humble way. Fraternally yours.
Nern w. Jones.
A L. q. r IMITATION