The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1911-02-01


Agent, Carolina, Clinchfield &
OHIO Railway, ut Convention of
Railway Industrial Agents at
Altapass, n c., January 10:
This conference would not
have been possible did we not
recognize the value of co-opera-
ton. And although the Clinch-
field has taken the initial step
in the black home movement
we are to discuss, it is without
any assumption of leadership
or claim of privilege that we
ask to plan with YOU TO make
our work and yours effective.
After mature reflection we
have come here without any
carefully laid out plan of pro
cedure for this conference. L
shall. indeed, tell you how the
back home movement has
operated and what we believe
to be the possibilities in it for
you, but we have decided that
any precise mode Of Joint action
among us would best be determ-
ined after we have we'll cousid-
cred the exact situation in these
States served by our companies
and what they need. In doing
this, | am sure that we can
leave any preiudiccs of division
to be cured by reflection or lost
altogether in deeds of Joint
action for the common good.
In the matter of immigration
the railroads in these States
have not worked together nor
with the public in general or
renlly effective way. I'm their
relations the attitude of all. the
railroads and the public, has
been one of aloofness and isola.
ton. Each of the railroads has
expended its money and efforts
for immigration as though there
We're no other desirable section
in the Southern States than thai
reached by its own lines. The
public, having not been partic
ularly referred to in the matter.
has remained unconcerned, and.
until recent time, their omen
enemy. The peopling and de-
velopment of the country which
should from the first have been
the chief business of both, was
lost sight of in an affected
superiority on the part of the
railroads and a series of hostile
legislative and judicial acts on
the part of the public. While
this situation continued there
was not to be expected any
other than the lamentable his
tory of late years and the result
shown by the recent census
Happily, antipathy and preiu
dice have somewhat abated,
and by real effort toward co
operation it is now possible to
effect a complete reconciliation
between them. say it is pos
sible, nay, it is certain if the
railroads themselves will set
about the business.
Under the stress of modern
economic lire the railroads and
the public are mutually depend
end on one another iudustrially
and socially. Although the
latter relation is not generally
recognized, it is, in fact, lust as
binding, as indissoluble ms the
other. Full understanding and
belief in it will come when they
begin to work together. When
once they realize that they are
together in a common sense
they will find by an enlarge
ment of vision they are also
believing together, and when
they are working and believing
together there will be neither
time nor disposition for recrim
ination or unjust action OF one
against the other. / do not
contend that we can at once
create a Utopia in these South
ern States, bit do maintain
that we can here and now set
going an influence which will
lead to cooperation among the
railroads and the people, to the
lasting benefit of all.
We may as we'll concede that
our people are mighty, an
indispensa BILE factor in our work
of Immigration. And when (
say the people, 1 mean those in
all classes and degrees of intal