The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-18
Santa Fe Man Says Unions
Break Promise to Nation.
w. J. Taggard, Gatekeeper,
Tells of Turmoil in Shops.
ANYTHING TO GET MEMBERS
Opposition Faction to Organi-
cation Said To Be Growing.
Attitude of Office Men Helps
Create Situation.

| Affiliation of Santa Fe shop en-
| ployes here with the American FEEDER
alton of Labor is not being accom-
plished without dissension among the
employees themselves, w ]. Haggard
OF the shops writes to the State Jour
nal today.
| The attitude taken by office en-
! ployes who are inclined to advance
| show me- attitude toward the labor
! organizers has had a certain tendency
to help create the opposition faction
in the shops, despite the fact that
union officials claim 1000 of the shop
workers have been organized. MANY
employees who before the union move
ment started were favorable toward
such step have been moved to
think the matter over by the atti-
tude of the road officials who have
been silent, it Isl pointed out. Both
employees and labor officials, it is said.
expected open opposition from the
| railroad company.
| A greater part of the opposition to
| the union movement by the faction
OF employees has become open The
State journal today received the fol-
lowing letter from w. ]. Taggard, 43O
German avenue, a gate keeper at the
shops, who, in no uncertain terms. is
| opposed to the unionizing of the en-
ployes:
Strike in Face of Raise.
! In every issue of the daily papers,
, read that in almost every part of
| the country men are out on strikes
IN the coal mines, altho their wages
We're raised, they walked out In the
shpyards there have been strike after
| strike, now the carpenters are out and
are gong to call general strike un-
less t1ss tney get raise and a closed
shop. Chairman Hurley appealed to
them calling their attention to the
| promises of the A. F. & L. in its re-
cent convention. and now we are
Drought FACE to face with troubles
The Santa Fe above all other roads
mas stood the test of extra service
Il us SHOPS are now filled with cars
| from other roads undergoing repairs.
Tne company has loaned engines to
o.ner nnes. The shops are turning
out more power per man than any
| other shops in the country
/ The government, when it took hold
or the railroads. appointed a wage
commission to fix the wages of the
men according to the class of work
the men are doing, so all men on the
railroads would receive a raise. This
has already been decided upon
Union Leaders Take Credit.
THE union leaders, knowing this
to be true, are trying to take all the
credit to themselves, and are telling
the Santa F'e men that unless they join
the union they will not get the raise.
They are promising everything that
will get a member for their union
with the result that where good will
existed men are divided, quiet and
order is turned into turmoil.
These labor leaders do place or
ganization above the welfare of the
nation. Why take advantage of this
time to make trouble?
THE leaders speaking in public
n preach loyalty and caution, ask their
men to be quiet, but judging by the
II work and deeds of their followers, dis
cord is the result of instruction given
in private.
Fathers and mothers whose sons
you want them slaughtered because OF
and railroad equipment, due to strikes.
Loyalty Secret of Success.
Il have three sons in the service,
one in France, one in the navy, one in
the navy yards. All three of them
served their time as apprentices in the
Santa Fe shops. They did not wait
to be called. They left here last April
L One of them was only 19 years old in
July.
Il have tried to serve my country
the best I could. Have reared IA
children, nine our own and five
orphans. 1 have worked for wages
all my life and supported my family
by being loyal to my employers.
am now so years old, and it has been
my experience that the smaller the
family the harder they howl about
hard times.
''W J. TAGGARD.'