The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-07-29

been struggling 10 better their conditions
and have found that organized eiion az
this tino y the only means Whereby they
may hopr 90 secure recognition oi ,hrit
claims. Mr.. sonlly sald that about Tour
yoafs aso a ten per cent Increase IN wages
Was granted Grand Trunk employees but
this increase amounted 10 practically
nothing a. the mirage Of tIainmen was
Immediately increased, thus lowering the
amount received for a run. lie said thht
runs were 30 arranged that many men
vere leit away from home ai the end OF
the day aud that the cost oi living was
accordingly increased, In view OF The
conditions brought about by increasing
the mileage of the runs the speaker SAID
that really the men had received no IN
crease in compensation for - years, Ihis
statement was made IN view OF the M
creased cost IL living IN connection Win
the increased mileage OF the runs adopieh
after the ten per cent increase. "a wages
four YEAR ago. He told 0i the lorna
tion ol the eastern schedule OF wages
adopted by - out Of a2 railroads east OF
Chicago. Mr.. Scully said that the brand
Trunk had stated hatly that Il wouldn't
nav this eastern schedule under any con-
dition aud that this position OF the com
many left no other alternative Tor the
men than the one they adopted. lie
said that all overtures for n peaceful set
Element Of the differences were gwen
cold shoulder by the Grand Trunk man
ayers.
Referring to the financial support that
the striking railroad men would receive
| Mr.. Seully said that for every million dol
lars spent by the brotherhood the rail-
road would be obliged 10 spend ten times
that amount. He counselled the strikers
( 10 conduct themselves in an orderly man
ner and told them that they had the
sympathy OF the public. He said that the
men should not interfere with the opera.
tion Of the railroad by green hands but
/ leave the public 10 demand better service.
lie said that the Brotherhood OF nan
rond trainmen had always been ready. 70
stand or fall with the railroad and that
when il became necessary TO retrench IN
expenses the men had borne their part
and done so without a mufmur.
| In closing Mr.. Scully gave a dramatic
picture of the danger that conironts
railroad man in his daily liie and told Oh
pathetic instances where he had been
delegated TO break the news TO mothers
and wives OF the death Of husbands and
sons. He predicted that the. men would
win and thanked the people OF Brattle-
/ boro for the courteous treatment extend
ed the strikers in the use of the hall.
Judge T.. w Gibson spoke briefly con.
eerning the commercial development OF
| the country through the building OF ran,
roads during the last 80 years. He said
| that the railroads OF the country united
the people into one great family and that
the men who work on the roads were as
great factor in the railroad development
as the men who finance and manage the
roads. He contrasted the wage scales
paid by the Boston q Maine road with
those paid by its neighbor, the. Central
Vermont. Mr.. Calvin caught the audi,
| ence with Canadian dialect story and
/ introduced Conductor Wheeler, who
begged to be excused John j. Eckies
said that he was heartily in sympathy
with all that had been said. -,
]. G.. Stafford was called upon by MI
Calvin and said that he was really sur
prised as he had not the slightest intima'
ton that he would be asked to speak.
He said that he once held the idea that
a corporation should be permitted to do
as II chose in the operation OF its AFFAIRS
but he had come to the conclusion tnat
labor organizations are a force that ought
TO be listened to- He did not believe
| that money interests have sufficient
amount of brotherly spirit to conduct
/ their affairs in way to minimize fiction.
Solon a. Richardson said that he had no
special knowledge of the controversy pc
tween the men and the railroads. but
wished to say that he. was Thoroughly IN IN
/ favor of organized labor. Conductor 1;
]. O'Brien asked to be excused. All of
4 the speakers were applauded.