The Topeka state journal., 1908-06-08
RAILROAD NEWS.
Employees Are Uniting to
Fight for Road.
Nebraska Movement to Attain
National Proportions.
CIRCULARS SENT OUT.
Idea Is Original With Attorney
Clark CT Nickel Plate.
Other Items of Interest N
Hallway Circles.
CIRCULARS SENT OUT.

The movement to form a gigantic or
gan1zation of railroad employees to
combat adverse railroad sentiment,
LAUGHED by ]. H. Clarke. general coun-
sci of the Nickel Plate. at a Chicago
banquet several weeks ago. has been
taken up in the state of Nebraska
copies of pamphlets entitled THE
Railroad Employees View of the In
dustrial Situation issued by the Ne
braska State Railway Employees Pro-
tect1ve association, have been received
at the local railroaed offices. This or
ganlzation, including in it's member
snip several thousand employees of rail-
ways in Nebraska, has been formed so
the booklet says, Ito stem the tide of
pubic opinion that has been worked up
against the railroads.
Extracts from the pamphlet are as
follows:
The present move on the part of not
only the railroad men of Nebraska, but
those or other states, is almost Spon-
taneous and has been brought about by
the batting of the railroads, which has
been quite general, undoubtedly for the
reason that this great corporate indus
try is more vulnerable than others and
from its magnitude, more conspicuous.
People feel that something is wrong
which must be corrected. That there
is something wrong is undoubtedly
true; that the fault does not lie with
of indisputable proof. In the interests
of the general public fairness must pre-
| vail and calm, dispassionate survey
| OF the situation obtain.
| TT is quite apparent that railroad
men, as a class, are being made cats S
paw of to pull political and other
chestnuts out of the fire. They are be-
| ing ground between the upper and
neither milestone. Those engaged in
merchandising absorb the increase in
pay-the railroads make up their loss
from Increased exactions in the way of
| tonnage, which is practically their only
alternative, as it is difficult to make
retrenchments in other directions.
Railroad employees themselves have
been Indifferent to the aggresSivenesS
| of the anti-railroad element. This
| lethargy has enabled those who are
| playing to the galleries to profit po-
| litically and financially until the rail-
road man now finds himself holding
| the sack he is handling more cars in
| each train; the fireman is throwing
| more shovelsful of coal each mile; he
| has in a superficial way attributed this
| to the railroad arrangements; now he is
| coming to analyze for himself the
causes and finds that7in supporting the
| many drones in the hive he is required
| to take upon his back greater burdens
! Until conditions reach their normal
| it is absolutely necessary for railroad
men, without reference to organization
| class of service or political affiliations
| to stand united in opposition to these
! policies that tend to diminish their
| wages or add additional burdens to
| their daily task. The yoke must be
| kept from our shoulders by united and
| continuous effort.
Facts are presented in the article by
! which it is endeavored to show that re-
strictive railroad measures vitality at
| feet not only railroad employees, but
| also business men, farmers and al
classes of labor.