The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-19
DAILY PRESS PLEADS .
FOR OPERATORS CAUSE
Duluth News Tribune Publish
es Strong Editorial in Fa
vor Of Telegraphers.
Gives q Number of Good Rea-
sons Why Railroads Should
Concede to Strikers.

sons why Railroads Should
Concede to Strikers.
1t is so seldom that daily news
paper comes out strongly in favor
Of striking labor organization, that
we are moved to call the attention
of all union men when something
really good does appear.
The Duluth. News-Tribune in
recent issue publishes the following
able editorial in defense of the strik-
ing railway telegraphers, and we re-
print it in full so that our readers
may know that we have friend in
that we'll edited and fearless daily
paper:
The Station Agents Tasks.
1t is interesting to know the re-
Quirements exacted by the Great
Northern and the Northern Pacific
railroad officials, of man who acts
as station agent on their lines.
He must be competent telegraph
operator, alert, steady, clear-headed.
He must be an accurate bookkep-
er, capable of keeping freight ac-
counts and of making proper month
ly reports, handling large amounts
of money, in many cases.
He must capable of representing
the company, courteously and in a
business like manner, in it's dealings
with patrons of the road.
He must be able to take care of
the business of an express company,
handling in this regard, valuable
packages of money and merchandise,
and making his monthly reports to
meet the demands of that company's
officials.
He must handle the commercial
business of the Western Union,
which entails the sending and re-
ceiving of messages that may be of
the greatest Importance, and the
making of another careful monthly
report.
He must take and dispatch train
orders upon which depend the lives
of company employees and thousands
of people who travel on the road,
and the safety of much merchandise.
He must be at his post for long
hours every day of the week, includ-
ing Sunday, and he usually finds
common manual labor enough to
keep him out of mischief when he is
not working ct the key, making out
q report. selling tickets or talking
business with patrons Of the road,
and the various other concerns for
which he works.
That he must keep his wits about
him, is plain. That he must be in
the prime of life and in healthy men
tai and physical condition, is nec-
| essary. That he must devote his
every effort to his work, is clear.
When age 1mparts his usefulness,
the company is through with him.
To what then, can he look forward?
Confined too closely by his services
to the company to learn any other
business, he finds the door of op-
portunfty slammed in his face. He
must become charge upon his
friends, or upon the public
Is it not this mans duty to see to
| 1t that he earns enough to support
| himself and his family and to lay
| aside something for sickness, loss
OF employment or age? Putting in
three hundred and sixty-five days
year, in the prime of his manhood
to earn just enough to supply his
own present needs, is poor business.
1t is the duty of railroad officials
to see to it that such a man earns
enough, not only to keep body and
soul together, but to save something
from every pay envelope, to provide
against misfortune and age. Not an
employe or official of those COM
panies, but knows that the majority
of these important telegraphers are
not receiving salary enough to
support man and his family de-
Gently, let alone providing for the
emergency NEST egg"
The Dakota farmer pays ten per
cent. more for shipping harvest
hands from Duluth to his fields this
year than he did in 1904. Freight
rates for shipping wheat or iron ore
into Duluth, do not seem unprofit-
able, but II the carrier corporations
are not earning money enough to pay
their agents fair compensation for
their labor, let the freight rates be
raised again, that the travelling pub
lie may be assured that they can
pay competent men to occupy po-
sitions upon which depend their safe
ty and their lives.
That few men control the North
ern Pacific, the Great Northern and
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
is generally believed. A pretty we'll
authenticated rumor g. credits the
Wisconsin Central to the same own
ership. It takes no great knowledge
of corporation methods to be aware
that this group of men Is closely
allied with q few other men who
have control Of most of the large
transportation systems of the coun-
try. - Pa f.. =. = r. ..v4-.=s
Whom +harnforo an offfc1al ~ q