Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-04-16
RATES LOW ENOUGH
Valley Wage=Earn=
ers Hold a M eting

ers Hold a M citing
At a mass meeting held here
last evening at the call of the
heads of all the labor organiza-
tions and attended by about
300 employees of the Northwest
ern railroad shops, a committee
was appointed to protest against
any further reduction in the
freight and passenger rates,
which, it is claimed, would be
detrimental to the best inter-
ests of all railroad employees.
The following resolutions
were adopted:
"Whereas, By recent nation
al and state laws the earnings
of the railroads of the country
have been materially reduced,
thereby necessitating the pract-
ice OF rieid economy on the
part Of E'1e railroad managers
which affects not only the in
terests OF the railroad corpora
tions themselves, but the vast
army of its employees, and
"Whereas, 1t has come to our
notice through the press that
the railroad commissioners of
the state Of Nebraska have in
vited shippers and others to
present to them any reasons
that exist for further changes
in passenger and freight rates
and
Whereas 1t is our belief that
any further decrease in the
earnings of the railroads of Ne
braska, by one of which rail-
roads we are employed, would
in turn make it necessary for
said railroads to make reduc-
tions materially affecting our
interests. therefore, be it
"Resolved, That we, both as
railroad employees and as citi-
zens, protest against any fur
ther reductions in the freight
and passenger rates. which we
believe would be detrimental
to our interests; be it further
"Resolved, That a commit
tee of seven of which the
chairman shall be one, be APP
pointed by the chair to present
the resolution to the manage
ment of the Chicago & North
western railway and to offer
their services in any practical
way which would have a tend
ency to prevent any action ON
the part of the state railroad
commissioners of Nebraska or
any other action leaking to fur
ther reduction Of the earnings
of the railroads."
The following committee was
appointed: j. E. Rosenbaum.
representing the International
Assn, of Machinists; S. r. Will
Jams and c. Langdon. repre-
senting the Boilermakers as
sociation; G. w. Gradv. repre-
senting the Blacksmith's associ-
alton; Tom McCarty, represents
ing the Car Repairers Union;
Dell Hood. representing the
Boiler Makers Helpers, and
Eric johnson.
The Socialist meeting held
last night at the Old Opera
House on Fifth street was at
tended by an enthusiastic
crowd Of about two hundred
and ffiv people including many
women, who seemed very much
interested in the movement for
the working and middle classes.
The speaker Mrs. LuelIa Kreh-
bill, handled the subject in a
mastery and pleasing way,
bringing forth much hearty an
plause.
She made many strong points
among which were the fact
that the poor classes had in the
past been able to better their
condition by taking government
land. Making new homes for
themselves, but that a condi-
tion now existed that had never
existed before in the history of
the world, the free homes are
gone and now must come the
fight for existance upon the
land now occupied. Also
brought out the fact that the
local merchants were forced to
skin the people for a profit be-
cause they were skinned by the