Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-07-16
$4,000 Union Men
To Supply Evidence
(By Floyd GIbbons.)


lIe hv organized labor in America
!sA IN effort to secure legal recognition
~ f The right of the workers. to organize
VI %as started here this week BY 1t
;'adz - the first time in its history
l aili nrogress from it's time worn pc
v.;dn r Of defendant before the law
s Sndl will take. the offensive to prose
anu IFS case against it's oppressors
Vu Tbe investigation Of the Illinois
contral railroad and Hartman lines
hefdre, the United tSaecs Commission
w oo'f 1ndAstrial Relations, is one Labor
~ Gathering the evidence against the
roa G Labor will prosecute the ease
hofdre the~commission. Al will be g
aDreat test case in which labor viii
SboW who is to blame for industrial
discnntent in this county and It's Ell
/fpctI ons public welfare.
''g IKE basis of the investigation will
10 The long drawn out struggle be
t W. the illinois Central and Harri
An lines and the $4,000 union shop
sm mem who were forced out of their jobs
m Sept! goth, 1911, when the roads
rafused to recognize the system fed
pratE0Q lOIul VI OA5c1AAANcAOAA'
Hearings Next Month in Chicago.
Attorney Frank Comerford of Chi
eagoIwas selected by the Railway En-
uIoyaes Department of the American
federation Of Labor, to direct the
rathering of Ehe evidence against the
S S and to present !. IL before the
FEDERAL commission at the hearing In
rb;cago next month.
The Industrial Relations, Commits
sion is composed of nine members ap-
nointed by President Wilson and con
frmed by congresses. Three of the
members represent organized labor.
They are John B. Lennon. treasurer OF
the American Federation OF Labor !;
lanes OConnell, president of the
Metal Trades Department; OF the
American Federation of Labor anel
lanes Garretson president of the Or
dpr of Railway Conductors. OF the
remaining six members, three repre-
sent capital and three represent the
mblic An appropriation of $780,
600. has been set aside for the use
of the commission which is authorized
with the powers of a court and is dl-
rected to investigate the causes o.
industrial discomfort and its effect up
On public Welfare.
Tie workers all over the country
have been disconnected for years with
the conditions under which they are
forced to work and live. The work
vs al. along have known the reason
for their discomfort and have repeat
pdy voiced their complaints in DEL
mite terms. But so far the govern
ment and the public has refused to
believe that there was any cause LOT
Tie discomfort. at least anything that
employers could be blamed for. Now
the cry has become so great that the
government has. been forced to In
yqStigate these complaints of the work
erS for the purpose Of finding. out
what there is to them"
Great Opportunity Presents Itself.
Now is the opportunity for the work
ers to prove that they have reason
be disconnected with their present
LOT, to prove how much they suffeE
by reason of the conditions under
which they are forced to work and
live and to prove who is to blame
for these conditions. The gathering
and presentation of this evidence,
amounts to great trial in which or
ganized labor will be in the position
Of the prosecutor and organized dol
lars will be the defendant on trial
The Apublic-that dimly defined fac
ton flat as yet has not classified It
self in one or the other of the two
n1o fo11 ina
case, because it too has suffered an
account of-the bitterly contested strug
giles between labor and capital. The
great waste in human and dollar val
ues has had PTS, effect upon business
men who depend for their existence
Upon the pay envelopes of the work
eE. Distributing mediums and other
concerns, enjoying the profits OF the
mddle1mah, depend upon great IN
dustrial bee hives for thier own ex1s
lence and are forced to close down
when the bee hive is unable to ou
crate or perform it's duties on accoun'
o. labor difficulties. These people
are anxious to know the reason fol
The losses and reductions in bust
ness. This is lahor's opportunity tc
pace the blame for all time.
evidence Will Prove Labor's Cause
"a great sociological survey has beer
Oegun to gather the; mass of data thai
Will be presented to prove labor's case
Investigators are being sent out from
Vmeago- They will cover every incl
y the Illinois Central and Harrimar
mes $4,000 miles in all. In addition
@%the evidence they, dig up, ATTORNEY
sOmerford has compiled documen'
a Al as Question Sheet" copie!
VI which are to be sent out broas
SaS' 70 every local union of the mint
Ssi!!ernatidnal railroad organizations al
mated with the. American Federation
Of Labor.
., Sixty Thousand of these "Questiol
Iae will be circulated among th'
Ivy oyv0 ooe railway shop men in TIT
,vuhtry The effort will be made Il
p ~ one in the hands of each on
lire 5000 who were forced out o
g tIelr JOBS on the Illinois Central AM
Sh. Mar lines and who since thel
c sa,s been scattered to all parts of tn
~ There are So questions Of
hv sheets. They were propounde'
H.. Nslorney Gomerford and are calcu
w ", 70 draw out the evidence.
l.Nnat the Answers Will Show.
IsaSo, So , to these questio nsl vii
I.o" now many of thosn 9k 0O0 me-