The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-25
APPEALS To men
T.. p. Ripley, President of the
Santa Fe Railroad
Directs a Letter to Employees
of the System.
DEFINES ROADS POSITION
Will Not Grant Demands of the
Brotherhood.
Threats of a Strike viii Not
Have Any Effect.

Employees of the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe railway who have Joined
the demands of enginemen and train
men for an eight hour basic day have
been urged to consider carefully their
action before they sever relations with
the road. A letter received in Topeka
today from President E. p. Ripley,
now in Santa Barbara, Cal, carries the
appeal TO the men.
Mr.. Ripley in his letter points out
the liberal policy adopted by the Santa
Fe in handling ordinary disputes.
Whenever it has been possible to
meet demands of the men for improv-
ed conditions, he declares, the road
has acted.
Trainmen are warned, however, that
the Santa Fe railway will not meet
the present demands. Threats OF a
strike will have no effect III carrying
the demands which the road believes
to be unreasonable. he continues.
The letter in full follows:
Ripley's Letter.
Santa Barbara, Cal,
April IA, 1916
/ suppose every man in the employ OF
the company realizes that he can get
Justice whether he belongs to one OF the
unions or not. our position is that II he
belongs to a union and chooses ITS OIL
GERS AS his representatives he loses no
rights hut neither does he gain any, be
cause il is the policy of the company to
be Just TO those inside as well as outside
the unions.
But when our men authorize a union
TO say to us-We demand certain changes
in pay and conditions, and propose TO nave
them by force If not granted when they
SAY they will not arbitrate, but Will nave
what they demand whether right or wrong
then we. as those charged with the in
terest OF forty thousand stockholders, must
necessarily demur.
The officers of this company are
charged with three-fold duty-to the
public. to the owners, to the employees
and they doing the best they can to
deal squarely with all three They are
hampered by various laws supposed to be
in the public interest; they have yielded
tsometimes perhaps unwisely) TO the De
mands Of organized labor. They have done
their best. They cannot consistently grant
the present demands and retain their self
respect, or the confidence OF their STOCK
Calls 1t Mistake.
ANY advice l might at this time give 20
the employees making these demands
might be miseonstrued, and yet IL seems
to be my duty to say to our men that the
course they are pursuing Is mistake;
that they cannot compel us by threats OF
strike TO consent to demands that we be-
Iieve to be radically unjust; that real
grievances Will have the same considera-
ton as in the past when presented by
any employee either in or out of union:
There may be roads where membership
in an organization is Il necessity for the
protection of the individual-no such ne
cessIty exists the Santa Fe-and while
the company disclatms any objection to
the frnterual organizations, it desires to
emphasize its intention of dealing exact
Justice 10 All, whether members Oh SucH
organizations not.
Employees of the Santa Fe are noted the
country over for loyalty and esprit de
corps" We like to think they are higher
type than is usually found elsewhere and
that they would hesitate to leave their
certain and well paid positions and the
privileges they enjoy to engage in con-
flict. the result Of which is at least doubt
full. at the command of organizations com
posed largely of men employed on other
Talk 1t over.
Every one of our officers has grown up
i'm the ranks and knows the duties and
wise every OF our employees to talk
the present conditions with his I'M
mediate superior to get the latter'S
viewpoint. a strike will cost the company
q great deal of money-perhaps necessitate
the passing of one or two dividends-and
working much hardship many innocent
people But it will not help the men, and
after the loss OF wages and standing other
men viii take their places and the work
go Is the game worth the candle?
The men who pull the throttle, or feed
the fire. or ride the freight trains, or WELD
the conductors punch. are no more nee
essary to tie operation Of the railroad
tina those who care for the track. or build
the bridges, or the engines, or those who
work the pen in the various stations. or
tribute to the amount to be divided, but no
amount of quarreling to the terms of tine
division viii make that amount larger. If
everybody VIII work for greater earnings
he may be sure that he will get his share.
but he cannot permanently Increase that
f. p. RIPLEY.
Caldwell lawn mowers at Forbes
Adv.