Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-22

| the Dominion of Canada to the Repup-
lie of Mexico, through every state IN
| the Union. We have been instru-
mental in giving to the railroads ana
1.-THE public a better class of men than
would have been possible without the
| organization.
| ..Before the organization it was-no I'M
common thing for the men to go ON their
| engines under the influence of liquor.
There were lunch rooms in almost every
/ station where they could obtain what
they wanted to eat and drink without
cost, and it is surprising now ot mu !. for
! nothing Now, there is not, l believe, d
lunch room in any station in the country
where railroad men can get what they
want without paying for it. and men take
| little when they have to pay themselves.
! ..The insurance branch was established
In 1861. Through this we have paid to
widows and orphans and disabled men,
hers 81. 10000. We have dispensed to the
needy and distressed 100000 At our last
| convention we donated to the needy
| Men in positions of authority are often
inclined to abuse their power and men
have been dismissed through some dis
like or pique of their superiors. We have
| in a measure changed this. We claim to
protect labor by defending the men
against injustice whether from the keep
er of a rum shop, the superintendent,
| general manager or president. We teach
our men discipline, to render faithful and
| honest service and to demand the same
| from their employees.
1--WE read almost every day of the con-
| hict of capital and labor. I have said
that there is but one remedy-the golden
| rule. When this is enforced you'll hear
of no more conflicts between capital and
| labor. AS Carroll ID. Wright says arbi
| tration is not the panacea for all ills. The
| thing to do in most cases is to get the
| two sides together and make them be de-
cent. But the trouble is to make them
| be decent.
| 1T is strange how men with little
authority think themselves endowed with
| supernatural powers and how they think
the road couldn't run, without them. If
a man be truthful and honest / care not
| what he does; he can honor the most
| humble position. Men must learn to
| treat those under them as they would be
| treated themselves | remember master
mechanic had for two years. He was
| a capable man and built several engines
| for us and good ones they were, but he
had a most ungovernable temper and he
| used to swear like trooper. But in the
| two years he was with us he never swore
! in my presence, although | never said a
word to him about it. Somehow, railroad
men seem to think swearing necessary to
| their business. But it's a nasty, dirty
habit. It's no credit to curse the God
| that gives you the air you breathe It's
an evidence of ignorance.
| I'VE must not pretend to interfere with
| other people. We have been in strikes
and under the same provocation we would
go into them again, and don't you forget
| lied labor Organized labor is here to
| stay and the only question now is are
| they doing right or wrong. We have
| boards Of adjustment on all roads COM
| posed of men selected for their ability
| and good judgment. When a man is dis
missed suspended or punished in any way
it is the duty of these boards to thor
| Oughly investigate his case and see that
| justice is done him. If he is punished
| justly they have nothing to say, but if he
| is innocent they are bound to have him
| reinStated We have yet to record a sim
| gle case where justice has not been done.
| We have no striking policy. We eX-
| hauSt every means to get justice and use
| the strike only as the last resort. If the
| mana gers of roads We're as willing to meet
| us as we are to meet them there would
| be no strike of the B. L. +.
| ''The best railroad men of today are
| those who have worked up through the
| various positions from the ranks. You
may not all be general managers, but do
your best wherever you are. If you are a
| fireman aim to be the best; if you are a
conductor strive to so conduct your train
rs the interests of your road and the pub
lie may best be served. Then you may be
elected general manager if you behave
yourself
You have doubtless read of sympa-
thetic strikes Now | will tell you a little
story SO you may take il home with you
and think it over and remember it when
| Spu hIt t'liiDttu W Stl hbNH from your
engines to help others. When | was q
boy | worked on a farm and my employer
was considered a close-fsted man. Able
| bodied men at that time were paid s13 ner
month with their board and clothes and
boys like me were paid Sc per month. The
farmer found that | could DO as much of
certain kinds of work as Joe could, so he
decided to discharge Joe and keep me-
| But Joe heard of it and coming to me
says: Pete, he's going to discharge me-
but | can sue him and get two months
pay, as | hired out for the season. Now
let's both leave him and get a new job
| ! agreed and We left But the farmer
| found himself in bad fix, so he hired Joe
back and left me out in the cold. That
| thetic strike.
IF we leave our positions and they sue
ceed in fillinS them we must acknowledge
defeat and retreat and recruit for another
| battle. 1t is essential that in the railroa d
lservice we have the best men we can find
| The men now are far superior to the men
of % or 30 years ago. Let it be remem-
bered that before the companies realized
the necessity of having trained men we
| were establishing schools and training
our men to better service. Go into the
organization that represents your yOca-
ton. If you stay out and receive all the
benefits without paying a cent for them
you are selfish and narrow minded.
Il thank you in behalf of 10000 engi-
neers for your kind words of welcome and
your presence here. this afternoon.
shall carry back to my home most pleas
ant IctoliectionS OF my nrSt visit to Wa
| terVille.''
| Hon. w. c. Philbrook was introduced as
the next speaker and like those who had
preceded him was received with hearty
applause. Friends of Mr.. Philbrook who
were present and who had heard him
make many speeches declared that they
never heard him make better one 1t
was strong argument in favor of and a
plea for a board of arbitration to be ap-
pointed by the Legislature, so firmly es-
tablished and so powerful that it would
be able to cope with all labor difficulties
and to restrain and manage the CORPORA
tons and employers of labor as well as
| the men.
| Mr. Philbrook took the ground that
neither Congress nor the President was
able to stop for a single minute the strike
now in progress in the coal fields in
PENNSYLVANIA. He claimed that when the
constitution of the United States was
drawn compromise had to be effected
between those favoring great state rights
ana those favoring extensive power for
the general government and that as a re-
suit the power of the general government
was somewhat restricted. The corpora
ton Is the creation of the state and can
be controlled only by its creator, the
state, Congress being powerless to deal
with something not of its own making
Mir. Philbrook believed that the time
was coming when the creative state would
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