The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-26
Labor Questions Will Be Set tied By the Ballot and
 Not By Strikes
UNION MEMBERS FAVOR
 AN INCREASE OF RATES
Candidates. Who Fail to Properly An- swer Questions Propounded By Railway Brotherhood Will
 Not Be Voted For

New York, September 25.-For the first time in the history of railway unions, members and delegates representing 3oS, 900 men of the four great divisions Of railway employees in the east voted unan- fmously at a meeting here today to take concerted action in national and state politics
 .'The proper place to settle questions affecting labor is at the ballot box, said Warren S. Stone of Cleveland, grand chief of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. "Whatever your political af- filiations, do not let party lines blind you to your true interest or prevent you from doing what you think is best and right. See that the men you vote for stand for the right principles, regardless of party, and support those men who meet the requirements, and you will not only be doing the best thing for your selves but for the public.
 This is not a political move at all, as is generally understood but a move to get away from the old lines of partisan politics.
 "In pursuance to this plan the meet ing voted to send out a series of eight questions to state and national candi- dates, particularly to candidates for the legislatures and houses of representa- tives asking for a definition of attitude on the universal adoption of safety ap- pliances and an employers liability law where such does not already exist-com- pany pensions for superannuated em- p1oyes, hours of labor and other mat ters of kindred interest s
 This catechism will be drafted by W. G. Lee of Cleveland, president of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, and A. B. Garretson of Cedar Rapids, la, president of the Orier of Railway Con ductors. and by thern.- distributed to all executive officers of subordinate unions and locals.
 There were 5000 members and delegates at the meeting today, representing the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Bremen and Enginemen and the Order of Railway Conductors. They met by announcements to define their attitude toward the appli- cation of railways now before the fn- terstate commerce commission for per mission to increase rates and as had been expected they passed resolutions favor ing an increase.
 It was decided that This representa- tive meeting of railway brotherhoods re- quests of our chief executives to appear before the interstate commerce commits sion during the hearing of the rate ques- ton, state our case and support the proposals to reasonably increase the ex- isting rates.''
 The legislative board of the Brother hood of Engineers of Pennsylvania. rep resenting 10000 engineers, which recently concluded sessions in Harrisburg, Pa, attended the meeting today in a body and reported resolutions which 1t was claimed typifed the attitude on the rate question of railway employees in gen. eral. as expressed in many other scat tered resolutions.
 They find that "The various railway companies, by whom our members are employed, have recently enormously in- creased their operating expenses and the fixed charges by reason of general in crease in wages and the increased cost of material and the increased demand of the public for improved facilities and service"
 In letter to Mir. Flannery, chair man of the executive committee of the engineers at Buffalo, Chief Stone ex- presses himself in thorough sympathy with the movement. "One thing is sure, ,'' he writes, If the railroads are to con- tinue to exist, some way must be found to meet the constantly increasing de- mand on their gross earnings"