The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1911-05-15
PRESIDENT CUT
SHORT HIS VISIT
Only Three Hours in Harrisburg
Owing to Wife's Illness.
ADDRESTED TRAINMEN'S union

Spoke of Trades Unions and Defined
His Position In Regard to Govern
ment Clerks Joining Federation of
Labor.
Harrisburg, Pa, May Is. - When
President Taft arrived here to ad-
dress the convention of the railway
trainmen he was greeted at the sta
ton by Governor Tener, of Pennsyl-
vania, and a committee OF the Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen.
AS he stepped from his car the
president was presented with a badge
OF membership in the general lodge
of the brotherhood and a gold badge OF
membership of the local lodge.
Owing to Mrs. Taft's illness the
president remained in the city but
three hours.
In the few hours he was in Harris
burg the president motored through
streets that were lined with thousands
of people, silent for the most part, be-
cause they had heard through bulletins
posted about town of Mrs. Tafts Ill
ness; visited Representative Olmstec
for a half hour and made speech to
several thousand people. The speech
was delivered to the tenth blennla!
convention of the Brotherhood OF Rail
road Trainmen of the United States
and Canada.
The president was introduced by
Governor Tener. 1t was straight
from shoulder talk, the president
made, but the delegates seemed to
like it.
Keeps Close to Text.
The president kept close to his text.
He spoke of trades unions, their good
and bad points, but he wound up by
defining his position in regard to the
affiliation with the American Fedora
ton of Labor or organizations of gov
eminent clerks. The question, he said,
is most likely to come up in congress.
It presents serious problem, which
the president declared demanded the
attention of the whole people. He
said in part:
81 think some persons have gone to
the extreme of holding that there
ought to be no combinations of gov
eminent employees permitted. 1 think,
however, that in all governments, and
have given some examination to the
subject, the government employees are
permitted to combine and have asso-
Citations for their betterment, but the
proposition now is that such combina-
tons should be allowed to affiliate
with trades union organizations made
up of the employees of private employ
ers, and to use the same methods in
securing better terms of employment
that are recognized as lawful and
justifiable in the ordinary trade union;
in other words, that it is entirely
proper for combinations of postal en-
ployes and others to combine in an
association to affiliate with the Ameri-
can Federation Of I -ahnran then 10
hold in reserve as an instrument fol-
enforcing their claims, presented tt
congress for increased compensation
or the betterment of terms in othel
respects, the boycott and the strike
which are instruments recognized by
the American Federation of Labor anG
supported and justified by it wher
used by the trades unions affiliated in
such federation.
"This presents very serious CUES
tion, and one which, if decided in favor
of the right of government employees
to strike and use the boycott, will be
full of danger to the government OF
the republic.
''The government employees OF
France resorted to it, and took the
government by the throat. The execu
tive was entirely dependent upon
these employees for it's continuance.
Il do not think that reasonably.
minded trades union men who are
fully alive to the necessity for rigor
GUS means to enforce their rights in
their controversies with capital and
with their employers will fail to see
the broad difference that exists be
tween their case, III which they are
contending for the betterment of theil
livelihood against the naturally selfish
motives of their employers, and that
of the class of government employees
who are privileged not only in the
amount of their compensation, the LEST
number of hours of their employment
and the greater permanency of tenure
and who serve the government of al
the people, the very existence of which
will be threatened should they com
bine together to quit the government
service all at once and paralyze the
benefit and the equal benefits that the
government is properly supposed and
held to confer upon the people al
large.
"It is likely that this question is
going to be made an issue in con
gress and it calls for the most earnest
consideration"
THE government employees are a
privileged class, whose work is neces
sary to carry on the government and
upon whose entry into the government
service it is entirely reasonable 10
impose conditions that should not be
and ought not be imposed upon those
who serve private employers"
Escorted by Troops.
When the president had finished
speaking he was escorted to the resi-
dence of Congressman Olmsted by the
Governors Troop and detachment OF
the state police from Pottsville. He
received a number of Harrisburg res
idents and later on visited the execu
tive mansion to pay his respects to
the Governor and Mrs. Tener and also
called at the home of James NJ. Lam
berton, his classmate at Yale univer-
sity.
The presidents progress to the sta
ton was through streets lined with
people from the central section of the
state. He was repeatedly cheered, and
when the train left the station crowds
lining bridges and railroad tracks
waved him farewell.
The presidents change of plans
forced the abandonment of the dinner