The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1906-10-17

"AeAA SOos AN oDJSNU "a
a request for the establishing of like
rules and regulations to govern the
services of its constituents to those
which have been granted to all other
employees. After carefully consider
ing the facts and evidence, L am
convinced that the request to be
granted a hearing is entirely reason
able and justified, and Therefore earn
estly request that you your
advise it's chairman, before noon,
Friday, Oct. II. Sincerely trusting
and hoping that we shall not be
obliged to refer this question back to
the members whose interests and
rights are concerned forfurther action
Mr.. Braggins continued sat this
time the adjustme mt committee had
been informed that on Wednesday
last the officials of the Southern Paci-
fc in a New Orleans conference had
summoned five local freighthouse fore
men into the Office of General super
intendent f. B. Cushing and asked
them whether OF not they would be
loyal to the company in the event of
threatened trouble with the clerks
union. The five men said they were
members of the union, and if they were
called out they would strike.
We were told that the discharge checks
for these men had been issued and
were to he handed them at zoe Sat-
urday. l then left Houston and went
to Beaumont, where l placed the
matter before the railroad clerks.
They gave their approval, and l
came to New Orleans. Last night
friday a meeting was held at the
l. o. O. F. hall, in which 500 men
participated. These enthusiastically
Endorsed the intended action, and 1
sent Geographic instructions to the
secretaries of all the railroad clerks
bodies in this State and Texas, call
ing them out to-day at 10 O'Clock.
Circular letters were also sent, which
cautioned the men against any overt
act and to abstain from the use of in
toxicants. They were told also not to
interfere with the work of substitutes
and to conduct themselves at all times
in an orderly manner"
THE ASSERTED JUSTIFICATION.
President Braggins was asked
what was the justification of the
clerks here for not having given their
local officials any warning when they
struck. He said: "We did not want
to have our committeeman dismissed
from service as rapidly as it was dis
covered they were appointed. and that
is our only justification for our not
having given the warning in regard to
the matter of III intended action. l
will admit that this was unusual, but
in view of the fact that at least five of
u members had been dismissed with
in ten days past, two in New Orleans.
two in Algiers and one at Houston,
because they were found to be COM
mitteemen, we thought it was time to
act. We desired to obviate delays
which would be costly both to the
company and our members and
thought it was best for all concerned
that the matter be brought to a crisis.
Had the officials of the Southern
Pacific been disposed to grant fair
consideration for IL requests, or had
we believed that they would give US
fair consideration and a cessation of
discrimination against the clerks in
the adjustment of grievances, we
would gladly have followed the advice
of Mr.. Fay and left the matter to the
decision of local officials. But we
could not be SO assured. We knew
the past eighteen months history
a policy of intimidation would be
practiced if we attempted the slow
process of treating with the minor Off
Gals. Had Mr.. Fay accorded an
audience to our committee and some
assurances that the matter would be
given some favorable consideration
our men from New Orleans to Ell
PasO would be at work.
General Superintendent E. B.
Cushing was seen yesterday regarding
the matter. "In all my experience
as a railroader l have never seer any,
thing which was so absolutely UNI
usual" said Mr.. Cushing. st looks
to me as though the strikers tried de-
liberately to p~aralyze our business.
Had they done so, it would have been
a great loss and inconvenience to |
shippers here, and New Orleans and
its tributary territory on the Southern
Pacific would have been the sufferers. |