Arizona republican., 1909-02-03
IA VIGOROUS PROTEST
 BY RAILWAY EMPL0YES AGAINST BEING LEGIslATED OUT
 OF EMPLOYMENT
Or if Not, Against Being Lesislated to Lower Wages.

The following from the Arizona
 Journal-Miner of yesterday is eloquent i ly self explanatory.
 Fearing that the drastic railroad leg | islation now proposed at Phoenix by
 radical legislators will either result in [ causing a reduction in their wages or the loss of employment, the four local lodges of railway men held a joint
 meeting on Sunday night and appointed
 Wm- L. Fox as their legislative repre- sentative to go to the capitol and fight the Hunt and O'Neill bills which have
 been introduced, as well as any similar measures whichd may bob up during the session.
 The four locals are part of great or ganiZatiOns which have jurisdiction in the United States and Canada, and | they severally represent the conduct ors, engineers, firemen and brakemen. There was a large attendance at the meeting and those present were unani-
 nous in the opinion that steps should
 be taken for their protection In fact, so serious do they consider the growth of the anti-railroad sentiment as voiced in the legislature that it was proposed at the meeting to form a Railway Mems Political club and ex- tend the organization over the terri tory. the object being to act as a unit in the future, in defeating for office any candidate of radical tendencies.
 Mir. Fox was authorized at the meet ing to circulate a petition among all railway men and among the business men, protesting to the legislature against the enactment of any legisla- ton which would impair the credit of the railroad, or reduce their earnings to an unprofitable figure. During the re- cent financial stringency, the local railroad by reason of loss of business, were obliged to reduce the train ser vice and many men were thrown out of employment. They do not want to suffer any further by reason of the ef fleets of hostile legislation, and they propose to prevent it, if possible.
 MT. Fox was busy circulating the pe-
 tition yesterday and not only was it signed by every railroad man, both em- ployed and unemployed, but also by every business man who was approach ed. He will continue the work today anu ltdNC lOIl6Hl lOI
 Speaking of the matter yesterday, he said: This move originated with the railroad men themselves. The com
 pany knew nothing of it until went to Mir. Drake and asked if he had any objection to my circulating the petition among the employees of the road. He gave his consent and am going down to Phoenix for the purpose of knocking out any bill which will react upon us as railroad men. The company cannot operate on a 2-cent fare, as the O'Neill bill proposes, nor on cents, as the
 Hunt bill requires. There are four passenger trains on this road and ev- cry one of them is losing money. The employees know this, and they further realize that if fares are reduced two trains will be taken off, and the crews will consequently be out of work. Fur thermore, wages would be cut all along the line. The past year has been a
 losing one for the road I am reliably
 informed that the receipts at the local ticket office dropped off s5O,00O. A de- crease of business on the road natural ly resulted in curtailment of the force
 and where the payroll was s60,000 in DeCehoei' I9Vi' IL was Oiiy S4V'VVV III the corresponding month of 1908 There i is no comparison in the cost of operat- | ing a railroad here and in the east. ! There you can haul a freight train of
 between forty and fifty cars with one .engine. On the road between Prescott
 and Phoenix the grade is such that three engines are required to make the
 pull for part of the distance. The rail-
 way men are opposed, because it af-