Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-11-05
R,lLRoAD EMPLOYEES AND so.

lLN Ensrnr Y. DIS.

arr p.rhaus NOR. thoroughly organ
lErd JbIu ar tho workers In any other
IL partm"nt vf Industry According to
thr report ol IL, interstate commerce
commission Ia 1895 there were in
rbumu nunh,rs $4,000 train service
employees on the railroads OF the
United States, the classification includ-
Ing engineers nremcn, conductors,
trainmon and switchmen In the
same year the organizations OF these
Perspective classrs OF employees reported
a combined membership OF 279, 900 A
small percentage OF this membership
is no longer employed in railroad SER
vic' and another small percentage is
employed in Canada and Mexico. De-
Quoting $4,000 from the total member
ship to cover these Items Cand this
may hc taken as liberal allowance)
IL will be seen that but 1900 Of the
total number of train service employees
IL Is perfectly safe to say that at least
80 per cent of this unorganized body
is composed of young and inexperi-
enccd men who have not been long
enough in the service to become eligi-
bic for membership in the organiza-
tions OF their respective classes. Pro-
badly not more than one per cent of
the train service employees on the rail-
roads of the United States. who are
eligible To membership in the various
organizations. remains unorganized.
Notwithstanding this very complete
organization il il somewhat paradox
ical that railroad employees as a rule
are drns, ly ignorant of the real spirit
and purpose Of the trade union move
mont. They know very little concern
ing tn" traditions and principles of un-
ionism and absolutely nothing of its
history. of economies they are as
guiItlrss of knowledge as babes. IL is
trae they have been taught that the
man who takes the job of another who
is on strike is a scab. but this teaching
has. it's limitations and qualifications,
as il is not considered disgracrful for
IN" members of one organization to
TAX" the places of striking members of
another organization when they have
agreements with their employers es-
tablishing rates OF wages and condi-
tions OF labor for a stated period of
time. In other words. IL is considered
of more Importance To maintain the
so-called sacrcdness of contract than
To lend assistance and support tn fell
low wage-workrrs i'm time OF srtike.
In line with this policy We find the
engineers taking the places of striking
iiremcn on the Southern Pacific. and
assuring the managers OF the Norfolk
a. Western during the recent threat
rncd strike of the firemen that IL the
ilremcn went out they Ithc engincers)
would guarantee that the trains would
he kept moving. We also find the
trainmen taking the places OF switch
men whenever the latter strike for bet
ter wages or NOR. bearable conditions
Of employment, always pleading the
necessity of keeping their agreements
with the railroad companies To relieve
themselves of the odium of scabbing.
The Switchmrn's union. by the way. is
the only one of the railroad brother
hoods that is affiliated with the Amer
- n
tion to- affiliate with the federation
was put To vote of tn" members of
the Firemen'c brotherhood Il few years
ago. and was defeated 10y n larg" ma
jority.
With the posslbl" exception of the
Switchmen's union each OF the railroad
that the interests at labor and capital
ar identical T.. NJ. Arthur. who was
for many years before his death chief
of the Engineers brotherhood. always
sought 10 keep his organization free
from what he denuminatrd "cntan-
CLING alliances with other organiza-
tinns. Mr. Arthur's teaching. which
WAS accepted as the inspired uttcrance
Of supcrhuman intelligence 10y the
members of his organization generally.
WAS that n four dollar n day man has
no interest In common with two dol
lar Il day man. Mr.. stone. the present
chief OF the engineers, is a worthy pu-
pil OF his predecessor in office. and in
general II may with truth br said that
the spirit OF clannishncss and isolation
which finds expression In Mr., Arthurs
teaching Is TO all intents and purposes
the ruling principle of the railroad or
ganizations today,
How little they are IN touch with the
spirit and purpose of the general labor
movement may be inferred from the
fact that, in response to public demand
for protection against railroad ncci-
L l.,,V.