Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-29
ENGINEERS ARE WARNED
AGAINST HAYES RECORD
State Organization Reviews
Candidates Legislative Votes
in Letter to Members

At meeting on June 81, the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers of the
state gave its Endorsement to a letter to
each member by II. p Wootten, secre-
tary, in which the legislative record of
P. NJ. Halves, a candidate for treasurer
was set forth.
This letter has been sent every mem
Der, to all labor organizations, and is
being published in the principal cities of
the state.
Following is the letter:
LETTER TO MEMBERS.
ATLANTA, Ga, June %, 1910
Dear Sir and Brother: At a meeting
of the legislative board of the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Engineers held June
q last, in the city of Atlanta, Ga, the
records of various candidates for state
officers were discussed. The record of
Hon. P. NJ. Halves was uncovered, and
below you will find how consistently he
voted against the interests of our peo-
ple-you ana /.
We deem it our duty to give this in
formation to all labor organizations in
the state. The record was taken direct
from the senate and house journals:
Mr.. P. NJ. Halves. who is now a candi-
date for treasurer of the state of Geor-
gia, was a member of the house of rep
resentatives from Ebert county from
1900 to 1905, and in 1907 and 1908 he
represented his district in the senate or
member of the general assembly, many
bills OF, importance to the laboring peo-
pie were acted on, and the journals of
the house and senate for these years
Will by inspection show that Mr. Halves
consistently voted against what were
known as labor bills. Some of these
81
l. Mr.. Houston, from Fulton county.
was labor representative and in the
year 1900 introduced in the house a meas
ure to regulate the working of children in
cotton factories, and what was common
ly known ae the child labor law. Mr.
Halves voted against this bill. See house
Journal 1900. page 464.
2 The child labor bill having been de-
feated in 1900. Mr.. Houston was reelected
to the house in 1902, and he again intro
duced his child labor bill, and Mr.. Halves
again voted against the bill and it was
again defeated. See mouse journal 1903,
pages 1S3 and 1884, e.. .. 10
g. In 1908 bill was introduced in the
senate regulating the house of railroad
telegraph operators so as to prohibit the
working of, them except for, a certain
number of consecutive hours. This bill
passed the senate, but 1t did not fail to
have Mr.. Halves opposition. There were
only five senators who voted against the
measure and Mr.. Halves was one OF the
five. See senate Journal 1903, pages 522
ard 523
g. The senate in 1908 acted on a bill
which was known as the employers LA
bility bill. The bill as introduced in the
senate was in the identic al words of the
act which was passed. by congress In
Ill Iav nv n
gress of course could only apply to inter-
state trains, and the bill as introduced
in the senate made the law applicable to
common carriers within the state. The
laboring people were. very much interest
ed in this measure, as they. should have
been. Mr. Halves voted against the bill.
See senate journal 1908. page 561.
8. The locomotive engineers OF the
state were very much interested in a
bill which was introduced In the house
by Mr.. Tiff from Dougherty county re-
curing the railroads of the state to equip
their locomotives with electric headlights
When this bill came up for passage In
the senate, Mr.. Halves opposed it and
voted against the measure. See senate
journal 1903, pages 33s. $40 and 701.
g. The labor people OF the state have
always been opposed to Georgia leasing
out her convicts to private individuals
and thus working them In competition
with free labor. In 1908 the general as-l
sembly had the question of disposition
Of the convicts up before 1t. An extra ses-
sion was called by the governor for the
purpose Of making proper disposition OF
the convicts. They were then leased to
private individuals and were being prin-
cipally worked in the coal mines, In brick
plants and in saw mills of the state, and
thus in direct competition with free la
Dor. Practically nothing was done at this
extra session except to act on bills which
looked to the disposition of the convicts.
The result was that they were taken out
of competition with free labor and put to
work on the public roads of the state; but
throughout the long contest had in break
ing up the lease system and putting them
on the public roads, Mr.. Halves lined UP
at all times in opposition to this reform,
and voted to allow them TO remain In the
hands of the lesses. Almost every page
of the journal of the extra session shows
the position of Mr.. Halves, and 1t is not
necessary to cite any particular page.
We did not make this record-it is his!
Can we support him?
We would appreciate an expression
from your body.
Yours fraternally,
H. p. wooTEN, Sec.