The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-15
RAILROAD news.
Railway Clerks Union Dis
cussed by President FISHER.
Object Is Not to Promote
Strikes and DiscOrd.
BETTER WAGES.
Clerks Think They Can Make
Themselves More Valuable.
Union Intended as a School for
Ambitious Clerks.


and aims of the Order of Railway
Clerks. of which he is head, James V.
Fisler said: Regarding the progress
the order has made during the past few
months, I can only say that the great
est success has graceds our efforts Since
the first of the year the organization
has more than doubled its membership
and can now boast of a total member
ship of nearly 5000. This membership
is not confined to the states alone, but
includes several prosperous lodges in
Canada and Mexico.
The Order of Railway Clerks of
America has only one creed and one
standard. That creed may be summed
up and compassed by two words-effi-
cheney and sobriety. Efficiency is fun
damental and sobriety is essential TO
the success of our undertaking. A close
adherence to the harmony of interest
theory which should always exist be-
tween the employer and the employed
/ is advocated by our order as inSepara-
BILE from success. The success of the
! employee is no less dependant upon the
success of the employer than is the sue
cess of the employer dependant upon
the efficiency of the employee. In recog
milton of this fact, it is our purpose TO
impress upon the membership of our
organization the Importance of eff
cheney. Whatever demands we shall
ever see fit to make from the manage
ment of any railroad will be put on
the basis of how much are we worth
to the railroad company. In other
words, we propose to work on the merit
system. 1t is not what we might want,
but what we deserve that we have a
right to ask from the employer
Just at the present time railway
clerks in some sections of the country
are receiving fair return for their ser
vices to the railroad companies Some
railroads, of course, pay less for clerk
hire than other railroads.
1.-The future hope of the employed,
no matter in what line of activity they
may be engaged, is to increase the
standard of efficiency and it goes with
time increase their value to the en-
ployer."
Asked regarding the attitude of the
Order of Railway Clerks to strikes, MI
FISHER said: Generally speaking, there
is little to be gained and much to lose
by strikes. Few disputes ever arise 70
mar the gracious conduct OF anairs IN
labor organizations which could not, IL
iudiciously and soberly handled, be
brought to a happy and nice adjustment
satisfactory to alt interested by arbitra-
ton To be sure there have been IN
stances where such a course Wouiu
have been impossible, but those instances
are extremely rare. The general PUBIC
has long cherished the belief that labor
orea nizations have for their only pur-
nose the stirring up of trouble and the
promotion of selfish ends. This is far
from the purpose or the end which they
were intended to serve. The Order OF
Railway Clerks is a school in which the
study of securing the highest standard
of efficiency is the only purpose, ana the
only study which attracts attention. II
a man has a grievance it is his duty to
submit it to the order for discussion,
and not to take any action until the
matter is dealt with in "a way when IS
right and proper, and according TO the
laws of the order. We say to our mem
hers. if YOU are ordered to do thing by
your employer which you personally be-
1ieve is unjust and out of the ordinary,
do it and then by due process of law
submit YOUR grievance to your order
And nine cases out of every ten of this
sort will be amicably adjusted IN
manner agreeable to all concerned.
ssStriles are generally the outcome or
immature incomplete and hasty dellp-
Grafton, and not infrequently result from
! imaginary grievances. We say to our
members, look first to yourself and see
if YOU are not at fault. Then We exhorl
them to apply themselves to the emo
| that their worth to the employer may pc
! increased. We propose to advocate I'M
ceasingly the harmony of interest theory
and whatever demands we may per
| chance make will be made on the cold
| calculating. mathematical basis OF now
lmuch we are worth to the railroad COM
panies in dollars and cents. the sue
| cess of our undertaking VIII be meas
ured by the altitude of our enlclency'
orr value to the employer