The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-31
CONDUCTORS ARE
OPPOSED TO BILL
ISSUE ADDRESS TO MEMBERS OF
LEGISLATURE ASKING THEM
NOT TO PROHIBIT FREIGHT
TRAINS ON SUNDAY.

The members of the Order of Railway
Conductors of the Louisville and Nash
Vile system have fallen into line in oppo-
sition to the proposed law to prevent
the operation of freight trains In Ala
bama on Sunday. At meeting yesterday
they appointed C. L. Huey to go to Mont
gomery to work against the bill, and
they have drawn up the following adj
dress:
MONTGOMERY, Ala, January 20. 1907.
To the Honorable Senate and House of
Representatives, State of Alabama:
Gentlemen-You have been requested by
the governor of our state to enact law,
which deals with the momentous qnes-
ton of preventing freight trains from
moving through the limits OF the state of
Alabama every seventh day. We beg to
take the liberty of offering an express
sion of our views in the premises.
We do most earnestly appreciate your
efforts to help us by the enactment of
such rash laws as will tend to improve
our working conditions; but we conf
IDENTIFY hope that you will not destroy the
good work which our unions have helped
to build up, by properly regulating the
schedules of our freight trains which are
handling the great commercial interests
of the south.
Under the present circumstances our
freight business is being handled with dis
patch and regularity with ease and COM
fort to our trainmen, and with the great
est possible decrease of danger, incident
to train wrecks, which danger Is removed
by reason of the present uniform methods
of handling the long, heavy freight trains.
But you can readily see. my dear sIrs,
how great will be the congestion, null
tiplied confusion and extra hardship
these things will impose upon our men.
whom you are apparently trying to bene-
fit, If the governor succeeds in having
his suggestion become a law.
Under the proposed law we would be
required to stop our trains when we ar
rived at the state line on Saturday and
remain there until Monday. Although in
sight of home, we would be kept away
twenty-four hours longer, thus materl-
ally increasing our living expenses and
radically decreasing our earnings, be-
SUES DellB SuDJetleu u BItdleT udHScT
of wrecks by reason of the congestion
and confused conditions incident thereto
The present favorable working condi-
lions and acceptable salaries are the out
growth of years of struggle on the part of
our labor unions, and they have been
gained by great individual sacrifice. In
palmer words law to prohibit the NOV
ing of freight trains on Sundays would
reduce our salary IA per cent We are.
therefore, opposed to any arbitrary law
which tends to destroy the good work
thus attained by our labor organizations
Under the present circumstances we have
ample time for social and religious adj
vantages, SO that no harmful influence is
felt along this line. Moreover II the pro-
posed law is intended to help our train
men. for the above reasons, we would
much prefer to ask you to oppose its
passage.
The hundreds of trainmen, whom we
represent, are entertaining the above
views and are looking to you for proper
and equitable adjustment of this impor-
tant question, with the earnest hope
that you will not permit such radical sug-
gestions to become a law of our state.
Yours respectfully, S. II. ALLEN,
General Chairman for the TraInmen