Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-03
SOME PLAIN TALK,
A Railroad Attorney Speaks to
Employees Meeting.
reproduction the Cause of Hard Times
Shorter Hours by National Leg
isIation Advocated.

Edgar j, Rich, claims attorney of the
Boston and Maine Railroad, gave an in
teresting talk before the Railroad Mems
Association, Sunday afternoon, taking
for his subject, What railroad en-
ployees have a right to exact from their
employers; and what the corporations
have right to expect from their en-
ployees." President Theodore 3. Ward
well presided. The exercises opened
with a selection by A. H. Underwood
followed by a piano solo by the presi-
dents daughter, Miss Emily Wardwell
Mr.. Rich spoke informally but enter
tainingly for more than two and half
hours. He spoke Of the opportunities
which this country offered. Here a
man horn in poverty became a railsplit-
ter and rose to the most honorable po-
sition in the civilized world. Among
the prominent railroad presidents, one
was clerk in freight house, another
started as an engineer, another as a
fireman and another as an engine wiper.
But yet, with all our boosted greatness,
honest, willing and faithful man cannot
get work as thousands such have been
denied of recent times, there is some
thing wrong, The factories are over
loaded with their product. Wheat is
in the fields, and yet there is the anomo-
ly of thousands crying for work. The
trouble is overproduction. The supply
Is constantly increasing out of all pro-
portion to the consumption. BY I'M
provements in machinery and methods,
the supply is much in excess of the de-
mand.
At the last election, one party was rec-
ommending silver and the other in
creased tariff as the solution of the
problem. Both were wrong. In the
west, the farmers believed that without
free silver, there would be no market
for their wheat The opposite has proved
true. The western farmer is now
without free silver, but enjoying un-
wonted prosperity, finding a market for
his wheat all over the world. The manu-
fActurer in the east was assured pros
perity with high tariff. He has the
tariff, but never has the market been
so detected as at the present time, with
the wages Of employees being reduced
in all the New England cities.
Two suggestions for solving the ques-
ton are offered: The first is for the re-
duction of the hours of labor by ma
tional legislation in all states alike.
The time will come when we will work
five or six hours, and live better than
at the present. Men who want eight or
six hours labor expect the same wages
as the men working ten hours This
can not be; but the wage which the
man working five hours daily win re-
ceive when five or six hours shall be
established by law, will be of greater
purchasing power than the wage at
present. The dollars he receives will buy
more.
A second suggestion is in establishing
public works, In 1857 Nathaniel B. Bor-
den, then mayor of Fall River, employed
all the jobless workingmen in building
a public cemetery. The times We're
hard, but through this farsighted man
the people were taxed, not to pay the
poor farm expenses of those men, who
would have been obliged to become pau
pers If they had not been given work,
but to pay honest men for a permanent
public work
The eXtravagances of municipal gov
ernments are fragrant We see a city
supporting such a set of robbers as
Iammany Hall, so that Dick Croker can
go TO England and support stud stable
on foreign soil. However I am not
talking politics, for there are just as bad
ROBBERS in Philadelphia. In New York
SURFACE road officials, when they want
the right Of way over some public street.
pass the glad hand to Croker and his
associates. City governments in New
England are not considered SO bold on.
paid in their actions. I believe in c11t
ting of Croker. 1t seems absurd that
Lne Wofkingmen of New. York should
P Ben Rlchard Croker their friend
put TOT MN and his, they would be rid
ing Tor three cent fares Henry George
was right in saying that thew we're
criminals, and if he had lived and been
elected he would have placed them be-
hind the bars.
Al inns point questions We're asked of
the speaker by G. A. Waite. President
L. u. BardwelL Librarian A. c. Greeley
. Ii 40 others, and the meeting resolved it.
seI INTO an informal conference. Con-
tlnulng his talk Mr.. Rich said that
harms capital, harms the men
capital employ, therefore beware of tba
demagogue. Beware of the strike"
legislator. "a voice. Jim Mellen.'9 He
introduces bill to shorten labor hours
He makes speech in its favor to make
himself square and solid with the work
lnSman, and then suddenly the bill dis
appears. He who was for it is silent
and 1t Is forgotten. The corporations
az olHot WLom the Dill was aimed have
stretched forth the glad hand. and the
strike legislator is cheered thereby.
In speaking of what employees have
a right to expect of their corporations,
he said, first there is honest capitaliza-
ton. At this point Mr.. Rich gave
lucid explanation of watering stock.
When the employees asked for an in
crease in wages the company would
say: ut can not be, we are paying but
three per cent interest on our stock"
but that company never refers to the
bonds which are paying six per cent in.
terest. A man invests $1,000, he gets
bonds for $1,000 and stock for $1,000 On
the one he receives interest of six per
cent, on the other interest of three per
cent. The bond is forgotten, and when
his employee appears he makes the
pitiable plea that he is receiving but
three per cent interest, whereas he is
receiving nine per cent. Secondly an
employee has a right to organize with
out prejudice, thirdly fair treatment
when injured. The corporation in turn
hes right to expect the strictest disci-
pline, sobriety and loyal service The
closed with a vote of thanks to
Mr.. Rich and song by Miss Wardwell.
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