Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-20
ARBITRATION
HEARING STILL ON

dence to Prove Their
Contentious.
Jan. 19-Just how "big BUSINESS
In this instance ''big railroad bust
ness"-cleverly protects itself and
piles up riches at the expense of the
working man was elucidated during
the last week at the Western railway
wage arbitration hearing.
The spotlight was turned on some
of the inner workings of this smooth
ly running system and disclosed meth
DDS by which streams of money are
caused to flow into the Golfers of the
companies instead of into the pockets
OF the employees. Accompanying these
revelations was testimony, just as
startling, proving that Western rail.
roads for years have fostered a care
fully devised plan of blacklisting
which has had the effect of barring
from railroad service hundreds and
thousands Of men whose worst crime
either was participation in a railroad
strike or a membership card in a un.
ion.
These matters were not limited at
They were stated as facts and photo.
graphic copies of contracts and appli.
cation blanks were offered by the
firemen's and engineers brotherhoods
to uphold oral statements. During
this period representatives of the
railroad companies sat apparently un-
disturbed in their seats, seemingly
oblivious to the real meaning and
menace of the evidence, bringing to
mind the old question of Bobbie
Burns,
"Oh, wud tn power tn giftie gle US,
ITO see airseles as ithers see u.s."
The Machiavellian maneuvers by
which certain powerful railroad com.
panies dodge the payment of millions
Of dollars in personal injury and SIM
liar claims by reason of an agree
ment forced upon the men, when they
enter the service, to join so-called re-
lief associations was brought to light
at Thursdays session through the in
strumentality of Warren S. Stone,
Grand Chief Engineer of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. Mr..
Stone showed that not only is the ap-
plicant for a job compelled to join
these relief associations but the rates
for the so-called insurance are high
and, SHOULD the employe be killed in
service, the Relief Department is en-
abled to make a small settlement up
clause in the insurance contract. Mr..
Stone emphasized the contention that
this deters the widow from going in
to court and obtaining damages which
probably would yield much larger
benefits to her than the railroad re-
lief association pays her. Moreover,
all these benefits are derived from the
purses Of the employees themselves
and not from the bullying Golfers Of
the companies.
Mr.. Stone produced Photographic
copy Of an application for member
ship in the relief department of the
B. & o. Railway Co. 1t was shown
that the same release applies to the
B. & O. Chicago Terminal Co. relief
association, proving the ownership of
the Chicago Terminal Co. by the B..
&, o. Railway although it is common
ly called separate corporate entity.
Notwithstanding the sensational feat
ures of these disclosures, none of the
Chicago newspapers gave special not
ice to the story and, in fact, buried it.
This matter was brought out while
w. E. Futch, President Of the Loco
motive Engineers Mutual Life and
Accident Insurance Association, was
on the stand. Peculiarly enough the
way was paved for the relief associa-
ton bomb by James NJ Sheean, coun-
sci for the companies, in cross-exami-
nation dealing with personal injury
claims paid by the railroads. A bit
of the colloquy which ensued follows:
Mr.. Stone: Isn't it a fact, Mr.. Futch,
that the percentage of cases where
railroads pay for injuries is small?
Mr.. Futch: Yes, and only when the
court of last resort compels it.
Mr.. Stone: Isn't it fact that these
so-called relief associations cause a
man to sign away his life in order to
carry his relief.
Mr.. Futch: Yes.
Mr.. Stone then produced a photo
graphic copy of the standard relief
application blank and read it into the
record. It bore the B. e. 0. imprint
and among other things showed that
the applicant was compelled to sign
an agreement by which the railroad is
permitted to appropriate certain
amounts monthly from the employees
wages and apply same to the relief
fund (which assignment shall have
precedence over any other assign
ment by me of my wages or of any
claim upon them on account of liabil.
tiles incurred by me-
Further, the employee said he legal
ly recognized certain payments into
the relief department by the railroad
company as "a release of all claims
against said company. ............ fol
damages by reason of injury OF
DEATH"
| In silent courtroom with nearly
all of the spectators watching him in
tently, Mr.. Stone, following the read
ing of~this document, arose and said:
"This is how the railroads protect
themselves against paying for thei1
human wreckage. I understand tha
the form as presented here is stand