The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-02
MEETING OF SWITCHMEN
PRESIDENT HAWLEY ARRANGES DE-
TAILS WITH LOCAL LODGE.
Beginning May is, Railroad Men VIII
Weeks-Important Business.

President Frank T. Hawley, of the
Switchmens Union of North America, re-
turned to the headquarters of the organ
ization at Buffalo, n. Y, last night after
meeting with a committee from Lodge
No. 146 of the switchmen of this city to
arrange for the biennial convention of the
union, which is to be held in Indianapolis
for two weeks beginning May Is. The COM
mittee from the local union, to which has
been delegated the task of arranging for
the reception and entertainment of the
convention, consists of Noah B. Smith, p.
o. Shea, Eugene Rogers, Clarence I. Fate
and G. j. Sedrick. President Hawley met
the committee yesterday morning in the
Occidental Hotel and spent the entire day
i'm consulting with them over plans for
the convention.
The convention will probably be held in
a small hall of the city, although Tomlin-
son Hall has been engaged. The opening
of the convention will be in Tomlinson Hall,
but the succeeding sessions will not be
held there, as no more than 400 delegates
are expected in the convention. The head
quarters of the union during the conven-
ton will probably be established in the
Occidental Hotel, although other hotels are
applicants for the privileges. The opening
session of the convention will be preceded
by a street parade, in which the local or
ganiZation of switchmen and kindred socie-
ties with labor bodies of the city Will march
through the streets. Music will be fur
nished by bands hired for the purpose and
the convention will assemble at 1881
o'clock. Mayor Charles A. Bookwalter has
been invited TO make the address or well
come and invitations will be extended to
Governor Durbin, the presidents OF the
Commercial Club and the Board OF Trade
and to the city officials to be present and
address the railroad men. President John
Mitchell, of the United Mine Workers of
America, will speak, and invitations will
be sent to President Huber, of the Carpen-
ters and Joiners Union, and to PRESIDENT
Lynch, of the International Typographical
Union, all of which are located in Indian
apolis.
IMPORTANT WORK TO BE DONE.
The convention will have much important
work before it. In all likelihood de-
parture from the general sentiment of rail-
way mems unions-a proposition to feder-
ate with the American Federation of La
Dor, will be received and favoraby acted
on. The local sentiment of the switchmen
favors aff1liation with the Central Labor
Union and State Federation of Labor. The
election of officers will probably result in
the reelection of the present general Of
ficerS with some changes In the executive
board. Inc insurance feature Oh the OTOer
may be remodeled somewhat and the &C
counts Of the union audited.
The most important question before the
union will be its future attitude toward
the Order of Railway Trainmen. The two
organizations are unfriendly TO each other
and are constantly at war. The switchmen
insist that the trainmen have treated them
unfairly and have tried TO discourage their
success in many ways, chiefly in the mat
ter of strikes. The switchmen say that
their organization is growing, while the
trainmen are gradually becoming disor-
ganized. and in the coming convention some
sort of a plan will be adopted to oppose the
rival organization.
The expenses of the convention will be
borne by the Indianapolis switchmen.
Transportation Is furnished the delegates
| by the railways and their hotel expenses
are paid by their locals, but the pay of hall
rent, decorations and other incidentals will
| fall on Indianapolis switchmen. In order
| to defray this expense without levying an
| extra large assessment on members or be-
| ing forced to appeal to the citizens for sub
| Scriptions the local lodge will issue a
| souvenir handbook of Indianapolis for dis
| tribution. Enough copies will be printed to
provide each of the $1,000 members of the
union with a book containing pictures of
| Indianapolis buildings and citizens and de-
| scriptive matter booming the city. The adj
vertisements in the souvenir are expected
| to pay for the publication as well as raise
| the funds needed for the entertainment of
| the convention.
An effort may be made to secure for In
| dianapolis the headquarters of the order.
| Its insurance business brings much money
| into Buffalo banks, and the official organ
| of the union and other features of the or
ganization contribute much to the business
| of that city. Noah Smith, formerly presi-
| dent OF the Indianapolis lodge, thinks that
| if Indianapolis citizens, the Board of
| Trade, Commercial Club and the city ad-
ministration will help him that the con-
vention might be induced to vote for a
removal of the headquarters to this city.
| He says he thinks ii possible, since when
| he was a delegate to the last convention
| held in 1901 at Milwaukee he secured the
convention of 1903 for indianapolis with lit
| tie effort.