The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-06


friendship. equality and truth ;" Surely
as these principles are ccmmendable to
You and in view of the fact that we
are not officially recognized and you do
not have to abide by tho restrictions
which our laws would place upon you,
it seems to US that, from your stand
point, we are no more or less than So
cial organization. and as such there could
surely be no serious objection to receiv-
ing committees from such union and
giving heed to such respectful protests
or pleas as they might have to offer.
RELATION TO THE COMPANY.
And now, Diminishing this question of
recognition which you have brought into
this correspondence, let US return brief
~ to your charge that the association
is unjust and unfair, in that it permits
the minority, composed of employees or
your company, to be Coerced by the ma
iority, composed Of employees of the rival
company, into the commission of acts
prejudicial to your interests. In com
plete rerutation of this charge, it is only
necessary to remind you that in the Bar
low case Ito which you specially refer)
this powerful and antagonistic majority,
to whose misguided influence you SO ear
neStly alIude, stood aside, as reported IN
the public press, at the suggestion OIL one
of their members, and left the discussion
e0UrGlN- IN Inc DdllOS Oh lIe dSlIOlA
Company's members, with result that
must have been gratifying to your COM
pany You state that the employees are
very much less disposed to join the union
than ever before and that, in your opin-
ion, this is so entirely by reason Of the
treatment they have received from their
own union" If your informants had
told you the truth about what transpired
in the association they would have per-
jured themselves, but as it is the Of
Tense is less in degree, as they have sim
ply borne false witness and have deceived
YOU, where they pretended to enliGhten
you.
Acting in the official capacity which we
occupy, it is proper for us to say on be-
half OF the asse citation that no difference
has ever been made by the association be-
tween the treatment accorded Traction
men and that received by the Passenger
and Power Co1npany's employees, except In
the Barlow case above referred to. where
special consideration was shown the for
mer. and they were allowed by the m :
jorty to settle the matter as they saw fit
Ii the employees of your company are very
much less disposed 10 join the union than
ever before. 1t is therefore plain that the
unwilliGgEess is due to some other cause:
doubtless 30 the severe treatment some of
the union men have received at Your
hands for language used in the supposed
secret meetings of the union Referring
to the employe dismissed recently for
falsely reporting the superintendent as
making remarks concerning the union"
alluded to by you on the last page of your
letter, and in reference to which remarks
You say, which that erploye, upon his
dismissal. admitted TO the superintendent,
| III the pre- sence OF several others We're
not made by the Superintendent" we beg
to say that we ere informed by the indi-
vidEal in question, that his admission was
simply chat the language used by him
may not have been the exact language
used by the superintendent. but he insist
ed that it WAS substantially the same. IN
the nature OF things we cannot call upon
the employees present to prove his state
ment. as. judging the future By the past
their confirmation would be the signal for
their immediate discharge.
In view OF sill the facts We have stated
and in view of the admissions and false
charges contained in Your letter. we are
constrained To believe that your company
is absolutely hostile to our association
and that it will use every means in its
power to emharrass and disrupt it. and
we shall SO report to tie association with
the accommodation that it govern itself
accordingly. We trust sincerely that no
occasion may ever arise to require or even
justify Il contest between your company
and our union but should SO unfortunate
a condition come about, it will be q graft
flcation to as to know, that we We're fore
warned il not forearmed. W. submit our
case to the calm Judgment Of a fair-n1il,d-
ed and just community, upGn whose sup
port we shall ALWAYS confidently rely for
success in our 1eeitir1ate efforts to i'm
prove our standard and our own condi-
ton. Very respectfully.
B. L. HOBART.
j. NJ. BARBEE
Representing E;vision 152 A a. Street
Railway Employees of America.