Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-25
STATE YIN. c. A.
BEHIND TINES
Charge Made by A. M. Burners
Friends as Cause of State
Ruction.
WORKING UNDER HANDICAP
Brown Had Held Office of State Sec
rotary 80 Years, According to
Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago Tribune today prints
the following story of the state Y. NJ
C. A. ruction involving several former
Rock Island men and the essential
facts of which were printed in yester-
days Argus:
1.-TWO state departmental secretaries
of the Young Mems Christian associa-
ton have resigned and two more hare
been summarily discharged from their
positions by the Illinois Y. NJ! c.. A.
executive board as result of QUAR- Il
in which the four were involved.
Following the removal of two men
from the heads of the railroad and the
boys departments general call was
issued to association secretaries of the
state to meet in Bloomington, H., on
Wednesday of this week.
THE call was sent out by friends Of
the deposed secretaries, and with t
went the intimation that, unless their
reinstatement was secured, an at
tempt would be made to split the ILL
nois Y M. c. A. or to completely re-
|organiZe it.
The crisis of trouble said to have
been brewing in the state organization
for the last six months came at the
close of last week, when the state COM
mittee met and voted for the discharge
of A. NJ. Bruner, head of the state rail.
road department, and l.. l.. Mcdonald,
head of the boys department.
brown In Office 30 Years.
Both men are residents of Elgin.
but have their departmental offices in
the Association building, 1853 La Sale
street.
Following the action of the state
committee 1t was announced that |. r.
Brown. state secretary of the Y. NJ.
c. A., had resigned position he has
| held continuously for 80 years, and
| that the same action had been taken
| by l.. A Bowman, assistant state sec
rotary.
| Charges of INSTRUMENTATION and dis.
loyalty were filed before the state
committee by |. F. Brown against
Bruner and Mcdonald The latter in
turn accused the state secretary with
antiquated policies and old fashioned
methods, and the railroad head charg
ed that this was responsible for lac,
of progress in certain lines of state
effort.
jealousy Held Cause.
| AT the Y NJ C. A. headquarters il
Twas stated last night that l. F. Brown
would be come chief instructor for the
training bureau for association secre
ltaries in Chicago, and that |. A. Bow
man, former assistant secretary, hat
accepted a position in the collatera
department of Chicago bonding CON
lpany.
Association men who are support
ling the state executive committee il
the quarrel and indorsing its positio;
in discharging the two men from tn,
lservice, claim that Bruner has beef
anxious to become state secretary, tn,
position paying a salary of $4,000 pc
lyear, whereas that of railroad secre
itary nets only $4,000.
IL. A. Bowman, assistant state SEE
rotary, whose home is in Oak Park
said last night:
"'These men were discharged 70
disloyalty to the superior officer:
Bruner practically assumed the fun,
lions of the state secretary. He mad
,, application for raise in salary whe
Brown had told him he was not wort
it. .-
In nd tyy
secretaries, amendaDie to himse
alone Recently these assistants we;
assigned to the Office of the stat
, secretary. Bruner objected and force
E the men to do work other than the
G were ordered to do.
Made an Appeal.
/ at finally became necessary
make an appeal to the state boar
consisting of the chairman, John
Wilder of Chicago, and q member
representing the various sections :
the state. They decided at once, aft'
considering the matter, that the Inc
should 60
J. at was pretty well understood tn;
! the tactics employed by Bruner wei
7 for the purpose of securing the sta
y lsecretaryship, which pays about twi'
the salary he was getting.
Following directly on the dischars
lof Bruner and Mcdonald, friends |
y iaugurated the movement for reinstat
lment. aiming to force this on tire
u to split the state organization.
THAT Bruner and Mcdonald hay
: tbeen unjustly treated was charged
J Ian association man last night.
Neither of the men has been in II
temploy of the state committee Ion
but both have shown themselves a
lgressive and earnest workers. w;
lstated But they have run up again
lprejudice and lack of precedent f,
their innovations and have accoi
lplished what they have under the mo
Trying circumstances.