The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-08-09
Section Men Make
Terrible Arraignment

The Wageworker was honored on
Saturday last by visit from H. A.
Vurpia, vice president of the National
Union of Railway Trackmen, who was
in Lincoln on some very important
business connected with his union.
Mr.. Vurpia is thorough unionist,
and he has had prominent part in
the work of forming union among
a class of workingmen who have
heretofore been looked upon as poor
material for the trades union organ
izer. The National Union of Railway
Trackmen is less than four years old,
nearly 100000, and it is growing in
numbers and strength every day.
AS the name indicates, the union is
made up of men who are generally
known as section men," the poorest
paid employees of any and all railway
corporations, and in reality the men
upon whom depends the safety of the
millions of passengers who ride upon
railway trains.
The Trackmen's Union was founded
four years ago at Fort Scott kansas,
by ]. I. Shepherd, secretary and
counsel for the association. At the
time it was launched Mr.. Shepherd
was a practicing attorney at Fort
Scott. One day committee of track
men came to his Office, and asked
for some legal advice. They were not
satisfied with the scale of wages and
wanted an increase.
"Why don't YOU go to your associa-
tion?" inquired Mr.. Shepherd.
But we have no association" an
swered the spokesman for the crowd.
Then Mr.. Shepherd began to study
over the matter. He thought that the
trackmen of the United States should
form a union or have an association
of some kind at least. He decided to
start paper, and offered it for 81 a
year to the trackmen. Upon payment
of 81, the subscriber became a mem
ber of the association. M
AS soon as the union was organized
it's officials began the work of calling
the attention of the travelling public
to the meagre wages paid the section
men, the responsibility placed upon
the underpaid toilers, and the mig
gardliness of the companies in pro-
keep the tracks in proper shape.
Finding that general campaign was
not effective enough, the unions off,
cials started to make specific cam
paign, and began with the Missouri
Pacific. After showing up the dan
gerous conditions of the Missouri Pa
cific lines in Kansas, and forcing the
Kansas commission to take action
looking towards speedy repair of the
lines, the officials turned their atten-
ton to Nebraska.
On July %, last, Vice President
Vulpia, accompanied by track ex-
perts and representatives of the
union, started in at Falls City and
began walking the tracks northward.
They had their kodaks along, and
they photographed the rotten and
broken ties, the broken rails and
fish plates, and other dangerous
things. They assert, and offer to
prove their assertions, that the Mis-
souri, Pacific officials became aware
of their actions and ordered section
men to get busy and throw dirt oyer
ties broken in the center. Mr.. Vulpia
declares that the following is copy
of "hurry up order sent out to
section foremen by the officials just
as soon as the officials became aware
of what the union representatives
were doing:
please get out all broken end ties
you possibly can in next two days If
you have to truck ties; get out ties
that have ends broken of and where
they are broken in center of track
throw some dirt over center of ties
so they cannot be seen"
On Monday Mr.. Vulpia and his as
sociates filed with the Nebraska State
Railway commission complaint
against Lne MISSOURI racine, ana Pc
titioning the commission to order the
company to Immediately begin the
work of repairing it's tracks in Ne
braska. Accompanying the petition
are. thirty-two photographs showing
the dangerous condition of the track,
these photographs having been taken
between Falls City and Lincoln. The
exhibits are telling bits of evidence
of official neglect and disregard for
the safety of the travelling public.
The Trackmen's Union insists that
the company employs but two or
three men to the section, where as
they should be from eight to twelve;
that there should be track walkers
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