The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-04-17
BIG MASS MEETING OF RAILROAD
WORKERS IN NORFOLK.
ATTENDED BY BUSINESS MEN
PROTEST AGAINST FURTHER ON
SLAUGAT AGAINST REVENUES.
THREATENS WELFARE OF MEN
Committee Of Seven Railroad Men
Elected to Represent Employees at
the Rate Hearing OF the Railway
Commission April 81.

the Hate rearing OF the railway
Commission April 27.
Nearly 200 Northwestern railroad
employees, representing the different
lines of railroad work as well as many
towns on the Norfolk division Of the
Northwestern, held a big mass meet
ing in Railroad hail Sunday afternoon
to protest against any further on
slaught on railroad revenue at this
time.
A committee of seven prominent
railroad men were elected to repre-
sent the railroad employees of this
section at the rate hearing before the
state railway commission at Lincoln
on April ~. This committee will prob
ably cooperate at the hearing with
the rate committee of the Norfolk
Commercial club The delegation
elected Sunday is: J. +. McGrane,
representing the conductors, c. j.
Hibben representing the engineers, c..
NJ Wurzbacher representing the
agents and telegraphers, John Daugh-
erty representing the firemen and w.
+. O'Donnell representing the track
men.
The big mass meeting in Norfolk
Sunday afternoon was in part the
result of nation wide feeling among
railroad employees that in view of
present conditions the continued at
tack on railroad revenue is getting to
a point where ii threatens the wei
fare of the railroad employe. Similar
meetings under the auspices of the
various organizations of railroad men
have been held recently at Missouri
Valley and at Chadron. A like meet
ing will be held at Fremont next Sun
day. Straight justice and fair deal
for the railroad and through the rail
road for the railroad employe was the
key note of the Norfolk meeting.
Petition Railway Commission.
The following petition, drawn up at
the direction of the mass meeting
the signature of the railroad men of
this division, Norfolk citizens and the
people of this section generally:
ITO the honorable board Of rail
road commissioners: We, the under
signed citizens of the state of Ne
braska, respectfully petition youl
honorable body that in the re.adjust
ment of freight rates you do not re
duce the revenue Of the railroads OF
the state"
The meeting also adopted the fol
lowing resolutions, which will be pre-
Ors Tuesday:
Be it resolved: That we, as EN-
ployes of the Chicago & Northwest
eTn Railway company, and represent
ing several hundred fellow employe!
and their families, who reside in Nor
folk, Nebraska, as well as all Labor
organizations represented on sait
railroad, view with much alarm thu
threatened further agitation and re
duction of freight rates in the state
of Nebraska, which if carried out will
reduce revenues TO the extent that {
general reduction of wages will bt
made-it having come TO the poin
where such action will have TO bt
in order to meet such reduction O
revenueS-and,
Be it further, Resolved, That we, a.
citizens of Norfolk, Nebraska, and
also as taxpayers, and representing
! about one-half the population Of sait
city and a large source OF revenue
TO the merchants, banks, etc, we re
specially solicit the aid of the Nor
folk Commercial club in our effort,
before the Nebraska state railwa!
commission and also the interstate
commerce commission; and,
Fe II further, Resolved, That W,
earnestly request the said commercial
club 10 endorse our resolutions passet
at this meeting, which are to be pre-
sented TO the railway commission a
Lincoln on the 9th Of this month, il
which We have asked that no furthe
; reductions of freight rates be mad,
: and that they refrain from furthe
agitation Of the freight rate question
and knowing that we are large facto
in the little city of Norfolk and tina
our interests are also the Interest,"
of the merchants of said city, W.
earnestly ask your cooperation in thi
; vital question of wages" with us ant
our families, and that the friendl.
feeling now existing between railwa.
| employees and the merchants Of Nor
folk be allowed 10 continue.
Adopted at a meeting of railwa!
employees at Norfolk Junction, Apri
y, 1908.
, In Session Four Hours.
The railroad men were in session
, more than four hours Sunday after
! noon The present railroad situation
: was carefully discussed. Every maj
? who spoke agreed that the anti-rail
: road campaign had gained so mucl
2 blind force that, in the present cond
I tions OF railroad business and finance
: ii was time for the railroad employee
: TO look out for their own interests.
] A. J. Durland, president Of the Con
S mercial club, was present by invita-