Norwich bulletin., 1916-11-02
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Appeal to Railroad Trainmen.

MT. Editor: I appeal to the railroad trainmen of the United States. It has now been fifty eight days since the so called eight, hour law was enacted. It Is of vital importance to your flu ture welfare that you immediately take some definite action regarding the true interpretation of the same, and find out the actual effect the law will have on the wages you earn, before you vote next Tuesday.
 Immediately after the law was pass ed. several railroad presidents pro tested against it. but they soon stop ped doing so.
 In a few days, President Underwood of the Erie. announced that he should support Woodrow Wilson for re-elec- tion; his action was followed by sev- eral other railroad presidents and gen. eral managers. MT. Underwood is not politician. he is a keen long-headed railroad man. who is not looking for all in his power to increase the rev. enue of the Erie railroad. The more he reduces the pay of his employees, the larger the net earnings Of his rail- road will be. t3 At the present time, throughout the country, the railroad presidents all ap- parently are satisfied with the Adam son law.
 It is impossible for the railroad com panies and their employees both to Ildh0 IIlOIe IIlOllHy Dy d 1cLW IIdC uO0S not increase rates. Either one side or the other will be duped Which will it be?
 The only way to solve this problem Is to have your grievance committee 1 interview your president or general manager and get a plain written state ment from him what he will do when the law goes into effect Jan. 1, 1917. Whether he will continue to pay the old and highly paid trainmen by the 1 mile, or whether he will pay them by l the day, thus constrning the law to | mean eight hours service constitutes a days wages. regardless of the miles | covered. If he refuses to make a state | ment, it is positive proof that he in- tends to strictly follow the law as it reads. which does not mention miles at all If they refuse to make such | statements or try to keep you waiting until after election as theysssurely will 1t should convince you that they in l tend to abandon the mileage system l of payment. If so. then you are the | ever perpetrated on a. highly important class of American citizens. And your l vote should be against woodrow Vii J son as the principal author of this perfidious law.
 If the Adamson law should prove tc be all the most gullible trainrnen be- lieve it to be. then it Is nothing but an undisguised attempt to bribe yor to vote for policy that win destroy not less than one-thfrd of all the rail- road business of the country at the close of the European war.
 The history of the railroad business of the country tells but one story and it tells 1t plainly. l
 That when foreign competition closes the mills. factories and mines of the United States, it empties the freight cars that are the principa source of railroad business and em. ployment.
 The number of passengers carried on the railroads generally increases ol dtminishes in the same ratio as the freight business. While they may not lay off as many cars, they will TUT them only partly full @a
 Remember this when you vote next Tuesday.
 EDGAR JAY DwYBR,
 Formerly Chief Engineer Of Centra
 Division Brotherhood of Locomo'
 tive Engineers.
 RaEonne. IN. J.. Qctoher. S1.