Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-17
MOTHER jones IN CITY
Delivers Address in Richmond Thea
ire in Interest Of Labor
Unions

Accompanied by Mother Jones:
and other labor leaders, about 30 OF
the Arlington and Falls Church divis-
ion of the Washington-Virginia Rail
way motored to this city yesterday
afternoon and held a meeting IN the
Richmond Theater for the purpose t
of enlisting sympathy for the locked
out men and stirring up sentiment III
favor of unionization of the Wash
ington, Alexandria and Mount Vern- !!
on division of the line.
Employees Of the Washington, Alex |
andria and Mount Vernon division
were conspicuous by their absence
j. Z. Kaldernach, of Washington,
| presided:
"Mother" Jones said that if the
people Of Alexandria had realized the
Importance of the meeting the house
! would have been packed. After re-
| viewing her somewhat stormy career
as a champion OF the labcrng man,
she called upon organized labor to
| blacklist every man and woman who
rides on car operated by nonunion
men.
She told the 40 men locked out not
RI weaken and not to surrender Get
after the 'scabs' and blacklist every
man and woman WHO gets on 'scab
car. They are communicating" she
| said.
The speaker, holding rifle bullets
in her hand, told Of the troubles in
West Virginia during the miners
| strike, and of her being sentenced 10
| five years in the penitentiary and al
forward being pardoned.
Supt. King. Of the electric railway,
she said, had been quoted as saying
hat the person who sawed down four
ooles near Fort Niger early Yesterday
{ morning could be sent to the peHl-
certiary for term of Il years. She
declared that tie situation should
bc reversed and the railway officials
! who refused to treaI with their en-
| ployes over differences that have
arisen should be sent to jail. The
| speaker paid her respects 10 the
courts. and closed by telling the men
10 grin at every woman they saw or
.ars involved in the controversy. and
showed them how to hold their noses
Is a sign of contempt.
Rein Orr. international treasurer
Of the Amalgamated Association Of
Street and Electric Railway Employ
es of American delivered a speech.
He told his hearers that the men on
this branch organized and asked FOR
slight increase in wages which was
not unreasonable. Within - hours,
he said, they were told unless they
gave up they could not work. The
speaker said he had no doubt the men
could get back if they gave up their
union cards, Two or three small
crowds, he said, contro! the street
railways Of America.
The speaker said there was no 9TH
az way to change conditions except
through organization. He said the
men locked out would be taken care
of and not 20 hungry, ard that the
union representatives were going to
stay around until some change for
the better takes place in this vicinity.
James p. Eagan, editor Of The ncws
letter or the American Federation Of
Labor, told cf the necessity 70: or
gained labor AS long rs they were
not organized, he said. the manage
Of the road was an autocrat. Trade
anion men here, he said. must sup
port the men and not st idly hy, Tic
said the road could be licked, and he
expressed confidence the men would
gain in strength.
Grant Hamilton, legislative rcpres-
cntativc in Congress Of the American
Federation of Labor, said: "If were
you men I should welcome The oc-
casion to show that | was owner Of
NY body, and have that which makes
for manhood ard freedom"
The meeting was attended by about
$50 persons.