Willmar tribune., 1908-11-04
PURPOSE OF new
ORGANIZATION
CONTINUED from last week.

Continued from last week.
Willmar, Mimi, Oct. 27, 1908.
To the Editor
The Railroad Employees located
at and centering out of Willmar
held a mass meeting at the Passen-
ger Station Sunday last. and organ
lied a branch of the Minnesota
State Railway Employees Protective
Association. In explanation of our
efforts. and that there may be no
misunderstanding of our purposes,
we beg space Of you to make the
following statement to the Public:
The present business depression
which struck US in December, 1907,
was particularly severe on Railroad
employees.
The reduction in the amount Of
transportation business was so great
that large numbers of our fellows
were thrown entirely out of employ
ment, while the small amount of
work remaining was divided among
so many that the individual earn
ings of the men who were old
enough to retain a place in the SER
vice were cut in two.
We realize that a great many
things contributed towards bring
ing on this depression and that a
reaction is doubtless due, and we
feel that one of the principal causes
FOR it, and one that made it more
severe, was the unfair and in some
cases unjust legislation and treat
ment at the hands of State and Ma
tional Legislators and Executive
Officers, that railroads have been
subjected to for the past several
years.
In keeping with these conditions,
we have noted for some time, and
find now, that large numbers of
candidates are before the public
asking to be given public office, on
the strength of and because of the
drastic treatment they promise to
administer to Railroads., if elected,
that apparently being the popular
slogan in the pursuit of place at
the public crib.
We, who are engaged in the busi-
ness of moving passengers and
freight from place to place, feel
that our work is as necessary to the
welfare of the community as that
of any other business, and that we
are entitled to the same measure of
fair treatment as our neigAbors,
and furthermore, we have learned
that what hurts our Companies,
hurts US.
We cheerfully pay protection on
half of the articles we purchase in
order that the standard of wages
paid men and women, who manu-
facture them, may be maintained,
and we take no exception to the
price of flour, fuel or rent, because
we are willing that the farmer and
house owner may prosper.
But now we ask a little of the
same consideration for the family
of the men who make it possible
for the farmer to get his wheat and
wood to market, and who gives val.
ue to real estate, and we have con.
cluded to join our fellows in St.
Paul, Duluth, Crookston, Barnes.
vile, Brainerd and elsewhere. ir
an organization, the purpose OF
which is to require of the men We
vote for, pledge before election
Of fair treatment, and to watch af
ter election to see that we get it.
This organization is branch o1
a National one that Railway En-
ployes are now perfecting in al
states of the Union, and which now
has twenty-six states enrolled, eacF
with a separate state organization
and which will eventually represent
railway employees Of all classes IL
every State.
The Minnesota Organization al
ready has membership of 25.00(
voters, and is increasing rapidly
and when we take into considera
tion the fact that there are at pres
ent $1,000 railway men in this STATE
dependent on the Railroads, VIII,
are citizens and voters, we feel tina
these men and their families ar,
entitled to a spare deal.
D-SHCCESS MACA