Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-22
Economy Meetings. Only Fore
runners of Organizations
Beil g Attempted
ARE VERY INDIGNANT
Companies Seek to Force Men to
Protective Association" With J,
to Combat Progressive Lesi -
Threat of Wage Reduetio' as
Club. n
Special to r,mes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, July 22.-The ECONOMY
meetings" which the railroads held at
prominent points on their lines iii this
state during the campaign preceding
the primary election were the ground
work for far wider campaign which
they are now conducting among; their
employees against the progressive
movement all over the country in this
and other states. Progressive legis-
lation is being attacked and the cam
paign that the railroads are conduct
ing is one of the most subtle and cum
ming that was ever devised.
In holding the economy meetings to
fight the progressive cause the rail-
roads used certain of their employees
to have the meetings called and the
argument was advanced that unless
the progressive legislative program
stopped, the wages of the railroad men
WOulu nave " US Sut 0OWAs
Now over the signatures of various
employees of the railroads there are
being sent out over the country hum
dreds and thousands of letters to the
men in the employ of the railroads in
the various lines inviting them to join
the Railway Employees Protective AS
sociation. The letters sent out use ex-
actly the arguments that were used
by President Winchell Of the Rock Is
land irl his speech at Fosters opera
house Just few days before the pri-
mary election in this city.
The arguments advanced In the let
ters are very simple. They are that
if progressive legislation goes any fur
ther there must be cut in the wages
Of the men. They repeat at intervals
that what is the companies interest is
the interest of the men. They give the
per cent of the earnings of the rail-
roads that go to the wages of the men
and then claim that but a slight fur
ther reduction in the amount of bus
mess done by the roads and there will
either have to be reduction in wages
or an increase in rates. These same
arguments were used by Carroll
Wright when he spoke at Valley juno
ton just before the primary.
At the close of the letter the en-
ploye is invited to join the Railway
Employees Protective Association and
pay fifty cents a year to the general
organic alton and 25 cents a year to the
local organization which it is pro-
posed to organize at each division
point. The executive committee of the
local has further power to levy an as
sessment at any time it wishes. The
railroads while forcing the organiza-
ton of the association for pol..ical
work thus escapes the buraen of the
expense.
The claim is made by railroad men
who are in a position to know that
a very large per cent Of the railroad
men Of the country are progressive and
in favor Of the policies Of Roosevelt.
But these letters which tho signed by
some fellow engineer" or fellow
conductor" come as every railroad
man knows, with the knowledge of the
railroad officials and it is charged by
the railroad men that they come at
the instigation of the railroad officials.
The letters are accepted by the rail-
road workman who has a family to
support and who does not cherish the
idea Of strikes and lockouts as no
tice from the railroad to "get in line"
All the letters thus far sent out, so
far as known, talk only in general
terms of progressive legislation and to
this progressive legislation is laid the
for the alleged hard
times Of the railroads. No specific leg
islation Is named. It is understood
however, that the chief attention OF
the railroads is being directed at Ok
and Texas because the legis-
latures of those two states have been
charged with being more radical than
that of any other state. A Des Moines
engineer who was laid off for short
time for asspecif1c purpose, has been
sent to Oklahoma to organize that
state.
Railroad employees who have been
seen here are very severe in their criti-
cism Of the letters being sent out. The
letters compare the cost Of railroad
service now, and some years ago. COM
pairing the cost Of material, such as
ties, and rails and wages, but do not
allow for the fact that under present
arrangements one engine and one crew
hauls three times as much tonnage as
in former years.
Union labor in other lines of en-
ployment is watching very closely to
see what the railroad men are going
to do with the proposition. 1t is known
that some, even great many. are
holding out and refusing to join the
Railway Employees Protective Asso-
citation. Union labor is progressive |
and almost always favors the Roose-
velt policies. Prominent union labor
men say that IL the railroad men all
Join this new standpat movement or
ganized by the railroads they are go
Ing to set the progressive cause back
many years if not for . time totally
defeat IL