United labor bulletin., 1911-12-28
ORGANIZER ASKS MEN
TO STAND FIRM
Harrimen Shopmen Expect Ad-
justment in Few Weeks
Motive Power Bad.

The striking shopmen on the Harri-
man lines are fast winning their fight
with the miIionaires. Reports come to
the office of The Bulletin but they all
tell the same story-defeat for the COM
pany. We are in receipt of copy of a
letter sent out by William Harmon, an
International vice-presdent OF the Inter
national Association of Machinists. 1t
was sent out just before Christmas, but
that fact makes it Interesting at this
time. It reads:
Since my last letter to the men on
the firing line giving an outline OF my
trip in Northern California, Oregon and
Washington, have put in the balance of
my time in San Francisco, Oakland and
Sacramento, and several other points. |
have found the conditions about the
same at all of those points. Very little
work is being turned out of the shops,
the power is fast breaking down and de-
lays to trains are becoming more numer-
Gus. The railroad officials are under an
immense expense in having large num-
bers of incompetent men on their hands
and being compelled to board them free
of charge. 1t is very important that the
scabs should be compelled to remain in
the boarding houses that the company
has provided for them. 1t is more ex
pensive to the company and is very dis
agreeable to the scabs to be compelled
to work in the stockade all day and have
to remain in there all night and will
soon cause them to quit and get out.
"Rumors are current to the effect that
the company, through their emissaries,
will make desperate attempt to cause
a stampede in the ranks before the holi-
days, believing that it will be easier to
influence the Weakened strikers (pro-
vided there are any weak-kneeS) and buy
them up with promises before Christmas
time than it would be later on. In fact
they realize that if the men refuse to
be stampeded before Christmas time
that the jig is up and that nothing will
ever break down the solid front that has
been presented all along the lineup to
the present day ever since the strike
was called.
I'm order to accomplish their object
all kinds of stories will be spread in an
effort to discourage the men along the
line. They will tell you at one end of
the line that the men at the other end
have broken ranks and returned to work,
and at the other end they will be civ
culating the same kind of story about
you so pay no attention to any of those
stories that you may hear. Don't worry
over the lying rumors that the hired.
sneaking emissaries are spreading, be-
cause the men are not going to break
the ranks, and we are going to win this
out will express that sentiment to every
person that they come in contact with.
then the officials will realize that the
effort to cause a stampede is hopeless
and they will speedily come to a settle
ment So once more let me impress
upon your mind the necessity of spurn-
ing the sleek, crafty, lying traitor who
comes among you painting a dark,
gloomy picture of this strike. and trying
IN m Gi
poets look poor. l have been informed
that the officials are sending a number
of men to different points on the line to
work quietly among the strikers, some
of those emissaries claim to be strikers
and perhaps they are, but when they
peddle tnat kind of dope you can gamble
that their salary and expenses are COM
ing out of the Golfers of the Hartman
railroad interests.
Stick together and pay no attention
to false rumors, place your confidence in
the men of experience that you have
chosen to represent you and when the
settlement comes it will be one that
every member of our organization and
their great movement can justly feel
proud of.
Il understand that at several points
men have passed through-who claim to
be working for me-in the capacity OF
getting information as TO the conditions
that exist in the shops, and these men
have succeeded in getting some money
advanced to them by local members on
the strength of such stories. | wish to
warn our members at all points against
such persons, and to brand them as I'M
posters. ! have nobody working for me
in any capacity whatever and II anyone
happens to come your way displaying
letters that state that they are in my
employ, want you to seize such letters.
as they are forgeries, and brand the per
son who has them in his possession as
an imposter and send a description of
the man along the line and warn our
men at other points to keep an eye on
them.
In conclusion, | want to impress upon
you once more the necessity of STICK
ING TOGETHER in this supreme mo-
ment when VICTORY seems to be
within our grasp
Try a Principe de Lees cigar for an
after dinner smoke.
RETIREMENT BILL BEING DRAWN. |