The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-02
AILROAD MEN MAKE STRONG
 PLEA AGAINST SUNDAY LAW

two weeks he had hardly seen his chill not been able to get of from his rail- road work to go to church.
 Do you think such a condition as that ought to existg" asked Senator Lusk. 1&'
 T do not know anything about such a condition replied Captain Forbes but if 1t exists, think that state of peonage exists In Montgomery. and the attention of the federal judge ought to be called to it.
 Captain Pounds, beginning his ar- gument explained he and his asso- ciates were not there to fight the bat ties of the railroads. The railroads could take care of themselves, and the trainmen were trying their best to take care of themselves.
 "The committees which are with me" said Captain Pounds represent every order of trainmen that has chapter in Alabama. As one man they unite in asking the committee not to pass this bill. Right now commit tee from our order is struggling with the Louisville and Nashville to get raise in salary What sort of a chance VIII we stand to get that raise if you pass this bill, cutting off one-seyenth of their business?
 k. T tell You gentlemen, and I want you to understand and appreciate the fact that this bill will reduce the sala- " or every railroad engineer in Ala bama from $35 to $40 month. There are four Sundays in every month, and some months have five For every trip l take get $S. and your bill will mean month. fs7
 Loss of Three Days.
 But It means even more than that. We work hV a hA nrst man posted on the board is the first man off. The bill would mean not only loss of Sunday to us. but 1t would mean the loss Of Monday as well. For under the bili all switch engines would be dead and tied up Sunday, and Monday would be devoted to making up the trains for the engineers to take out.
 Ut means a still further loss to us. Suppose the bill passed. Suppose eight of us have trains out on the road trying to make it into Birmingham. Suppose the third man breaks down from bad Journal or some other cause. All the fellows behind him will have to stick to their engines. if it is Saturday night, until the following Monday morning. kVen If he gets d chance to go to d and night at a hotel at his own ex- pense.i although he may be almost In stone's throw of his home town.
 The trainmen get plenty of rest hatS' we nave every OlHeT udy' IT. A man can get off if he wants to get off. He can lay off Sunday if he wants to lay off and go to church.
 Don't reduce our salaries this way. roads in the United States and Mexico That will employ an engineer who Is over 45 years of age. He has got to make his living and provide a home for his wife and children while he is a young man. Suppose he Is buying home on the installment plan, and many of us are doing that very thing. When you reduce our salaries $40 month. you threaten us with the loss of those homes we have not yet paid for. Senator Lusk told the speaker of the railroad man who had not been able to see anything of his family for couple of weeks and who had not had chance to go to church in six months:
 All I've got to say is that if that man wouldn't take time off to see his family he was a mighty sorry fellow" Many Attend Hearing. In handing to Chairman Overton a Pounds said he included in it an elo- auent sermon delivered from a Birn- ingham pulpits against the bill by Rev. I. W. Stagg.
 The large delegation which crowded into the Senate Chamber In protest against the bill included Captain A. G. Forbes. L. l.. Gilbert, F. F. Chaffee. lca T. TulIis. James Parrish, N; Lob W | Frank McPherson and A T. Shanks. of the Montgomery Commercial Club. The delegation of railroad men. which | came from Montgomery. Birmingham and Pensacola included J. c. Elliott, | Cad Beale. T.. S. Pounds. George Gar rett, Jesse Roy. R. A. Powell, T. w. CargilI, J. s. Jennings, F.. M. Will 1 son. o. c. Devinney, J. l.. Strickland, P. K. UrQuhart.
 Present at the hearing as spectators were Superintendent J. l. Mckinney, of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad; Superintendent w. NJ. Cox. of the Wes- | tern, and Superintendent F. G. Ben net of the Atlantic Coast Line ! Among the other out A town rail- road men in attendance were Conduc- tors Britenstaff, of the Central of Georgia Railway and Wilson, and | -Vickory of the Selma and Flomaton division of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Engineer Steele of the Co., Iumbus and Western road, and Conduc- tor S. H. Allen, General Chairman of the adjustment committee of the Louis Iville and Nashville.