The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-25
The Newly Elected Senator From
the Empire State
Addresses the Railroad Employees Political
League at Chicago.
the Banding Together Of
Those Who Are Dependent Upon
the Railroads for a Living Not
Only to Further Their Interests
With the Companies by which
They Are Employed but as They
May be Harmed or Benefited by
Legislation.

They Are Employed but as They
May be Harmed OF Benefited by
Legislation.
CHICAGO, Feb. 24.-At the Armory
of the fiIst Infantry tonight the Con-
gress OF hallway Employees was adj
dressed by Senator-elect Chauncey M.
Depew OF New Y ork. The speech, which
was to railroad men only, was as fol-
lows: 81
\ am glad to meet you here as the
members of the Railroad Employees
Political League. 1t is time that the
men who are dependent upon the rail-
roads tor a living should look after
their interests, not only as they are
anected by the operation of the sew
eral companies where they are en-
ployed, but as they may be harmed or
benefited by legislation. In beng
political, but not partisan, you have
entered upon the right course. The
moment labor, a trade, or a char
liable, or a religious organization be-
comes identified with the one party CT
the other, and can be used to pro-
mote the interests of party managers
4
has ceased. But when people who are
united in the same general cause are
in politics only so far as to inform
legislators, Governors, Congresses and
Presidents of their situation, of their
rights, of their business and of con-
templated wrongs and injuries to them,
then they are able to protect them
selves
Oh of 10 T~ic a.
velopment and present position of the
railways-the great carriers of the
world-he continued: 1.-The great
changes in the railways of to-day, and
of the creative and settling periods, is
that individual ownership has disap-
peared There is no railway system
in the country one-quarter of whose
stock is owned by any one inter est
Any management which treats all its
stockholders alike, which is free from
rings or inside arrangements of any
kind by which few get rich at the
expense of the rest, will be continued
by the stockholders in Office as long
as the returns are satisfactory. That
management must be something more,
however, to remain in power than have
simply satisfactory returns. 1t must
satisfy the public and it must have
from its employees that efficient and
healthy service which comes only from
their satisfaction with their employ
ment and devotion to it's interests.
when first l entered the service OF
the New York Central Railroad the
vast majority of its stock was owned
by one man, and the balance by few
hundred others Now there is a con-
stituency of about 1900; now its stock
and that of the other solvent railroads
is owned by people of moderate means
and by savings banks and by life in
surance companies, whose investments
represent the hard-earned savings OF
the working people.
LEGISLATION on railway matters mas
become not only of great moment to
the stockholders, but of much greater
to the employees When unwise laws
injuriously affect the operations OF
railroad line the manager at once calls
together the members of all the de-
partments He says: Under the oper-
atoms of this law our earnings nave
been cut down-so much. That Will
prevent our paying dividends, or IL
the road is not paying dividends, 'Ihat
will prevent our meeting the interest,"
on our bonds and our company VIII
90 into the hands Of a receiver. NOW
our official lives are at stake. IL the
stockholders are dissatisfied, the di-
rectors will turn us out; If the ROAD
goes into the hands of receiver, some
politician may be appointed by the
court. and he will turn us all out.
Where can we cut down expenses 20
meet this loss of net earnings?' The
only elastic thing left is labor. A prac-
tical and horrible lesson was given IN
1904. when 100000 men were dropped
off the pay-rolls. That meant an IN
calculable amount of misery.
Railway employment is special
vacation. The conductor, the locolno-
tive engineer, the fireman, the brake
man and the switchman cannot read
ily adapt themselves to anything Out
what is known as common lapor' anu
for that they are not fitted
.sNow legislators and public men
do not mean to do injustice, except q
few demagogues. The rest are non
est-minded to do what is right. In
States where the railway prejudice ex-
lists they expect a railroad president,
or the railroad manager to pc I'M
scrupulous, and place little commence
in his statements, but a committee or
the employees, intelligently understand
ing the question, would be listened to
at once. They would be listened to,
especially if the politicians knew II
these active, intelligent and efficient
workers. as all railroad men are, in. the
political parties in their several dis
tricts. meant business; that they pro-
i, posed to take the same care of their
interests that other labor unions do
of their interests, that farmers do OF
their interests, that bankers do of
their interests, that manufacturers do
of their interests. 1t is here where
YOUR lead will be of incalculable bene
fit to the members of every department
of the railway service.
"You asked me in your letter to say
something about contracts between
railway companies known as pooling
contracts. l believe that the right of
railway companies to form associa-
! lions and to enter into pooling con-
tracts should be granted, but only un-
der the supervision of the Interstate
| Commerce Commission. I believe in
STRENGTHENING that commission, in
creasing it's powers and adding to its
! dignity, because of the character of the