Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-17
LACK OF FUNDS
CAUSED ACTION
csorr, ". McGiII, Tri-City Rail-
way Employe. Alleged Disioy-
aliSt. Tells His Story.
MS OBLIGATIONS TOTAL s5.5ss
He viii Fight Case 10 Limit at
Hearing Of Charges in DaY-
export Tonight.

The condition Of his finances kept
George " McGill. street car man
fo- % years, from contributing TO
he fund for a service flag, accord
,Tr 10 the statement he made yes
ts~day IN Davenport.
Mr. NcGiIl has been discharged
~ fhe Tri-City Railway company,
sId charges of disIoyaIty have
gaeu filed against him in his labor
union ~,
held this evening, with the eXecu-
live council Of the union acting as
surv. Mr.. McGill said that he in
,anded to fight the charges.
The Scott county council Of de-
fanse through Chairman sam I.
White. declined 10 make any fur
,1er statement on the matter. 1t
Is understood that the charges are
beiug investigated by agents of the
department OF justice.
Wr. McGilTs statement, in which
Re gives the reasons for his failure
10 contribute 10 the service flag
fund, follows:
- didn't contribute to the ser
vice flag because I was not finan-
rialIv able. I have obligations at
present on my property which total
s5.53S.50.
Il have been vainly trying for a
long time to meet these obligations,
ana to keep even on my monthly
living expenses, on $3.35 day, plus
the semi-monthly bonus of Z per
cent. which paid me $11.24 for the
last two months.
The 10th of February, 1917, !
took nv wife to Drs. Dunn and
Rendelman for examination. They
found that her right lung was fill
ing and they told me at once to get
her south as soon as possible.
4 left here with her Feb. 20 for
Iaferia, Texas, where | kept her
four months. She improved won
dcrfully. but got homesick and
had to bring her home. She is still
under the care OF Dr.. Dunn.
1t cost me better than $1,000 to
nav doctors bills and to care for
her for the four months.
Besides the obligations totalec
above. ! have a Liberty bond Of tbs
second issue on which l still owe
S.
Thought 1t All Right.
"When the committeeman came
10 me l told him that l felt like
couldn't donate even dime.
explained some of my obligations
10 him and he said he thought that
was all right, and that if l felt
couldn't donate, he didn't blame
me
The next morning ! went to the
barn to report for work l looked
at the blackboard the union has
there that is supposed to be fol-
notices to the members.
"On that blackboard they had me
listed as Stacker, because l hadn't
given anything toward buying thai
flag. Of course, it made me pretty
mad at the time.
4 admit that let my temper ge'
the best Of me. I took the penny
and threw II across to Mr.. CUsh
man. the assistant superintendent
and I did make an uncOmplimen
tary remark, I'll admit. But
didn't make any remark about the
flag. I didn't say q word about the
flag
Il had no intention Of insulting
kny flag Of the nation or otherwise
II is simply a rebuke against the
members Of the union that they
would allow an insult Of this kint
70 be parpetrated against a fellow
member, when they had taken Al
obligation when they entered thu
organization to warn him of ap
preaching danger.
"As far as I know, that IS thu
only thing they have against me
except some things I have heard
rImored that I viii Snd out at the
meeting tonight
Says He Is Loyal.
'As far as loyalty is concerned
don't want anyone to think tina
am in any way at all dislOyal. w
are in this war and nobody in thli
country is more anxious to see th'
United States win than l,
We have got to win, that's all
And I intend 10 do everything
tan to help win.
AS far as making any remark
against our country or our flag /
concerned, if | thought that l wa
guilty of doing anything OF tina