The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-27
FIGHTERS NOT II
DROP FROM UNION

A published rcport yesterday morn
Ing to the effect tha a majority of the
members of the Richmond nre DEPART
ment favor dropping their membership
In the local union of the International
Association OF Fire Fighters was dts
MED yesterday bY Lieutenant G. H.
Sweeney, secretary Of the crganizA-
ton
II, was said that a score or mere 81
them had EXPRESSED a desire 70 resign
Lieutenant sweeney declared this to be
untrue. saving that only seven had
taken any SUCH action and that sew
eral Of these had requested to With
draw their resi~nations,
HIS statement follows
The article in = morning r~ewsp1par.y
with reference 10 tho meeting last night
OF Richmond local No. 2l2, Of the In-S
terrational Association Of Fire Fight
crs, is absolutely false but we be-
fievc- thc-hfame-ts n-eSabis-aus-fo -
7 the man who gave OUT the staternenS
and thus violated his solemn oath Of
se~~acv rather h the newspa per IT.
sell;
In order tAat there raav BE-. 40 r,is-
understandinE ~ the position taken
hv the union last night. ! was :nstruct-s
Oh to SEQ that tho orsaniyat,on vas
7 pl1rad In tha nroner light before the
public Instead IF twenty. resi@rltlbnS
being placed before the MOI last
night, only seven we're sent in ana
four Of thcse have already withdrawn
their reservations b. a letter to the
union read AZ thc meeting. They we're
misled into signing these r~esiynatiore
by one or two of the 'pussv-footers'
, who have been creating this trouble
in an attempt 70 break ~ the organs
/ cation of the men.
~ orlo- tha% fba -nA1;r a SO TO-
formed. ! wish to state that a form Of
constitution OF the local union was
adopted and submitted to tho rrer for
a vote. which reads as follows, The
! purpose Of this organization shall be to
secure the united efforts of all paid
members otsthN Richmond, Va Are de-.
partnent toward the betternfert OF
the service from the standpoint Of
both The employees and the employers.
and 70 I'M welfare of its mem
hers: provided. that under nc circum-
stances shall this union e In or
support a strike against the federal or
municipal Governments. The object 81
this organization shall be attained BY
petition to the city council: BY cat4e.
waiting public sentiment: by Choppers
ton with and among the officials n
/ employees and by other lawful ,nears-
There is no possibility of a serious
split In the organization IL this con-
! stitution is adopted and there IL no
doubt that IL will be. The men in
the department will rot give up the
backing OF the Central Trades and
Labor Council and the other orxaniza-
lions with which they are affiliated
and as lone as the Are fighters IN 220
other cities think II wise to have an
international union we shall hold on
TO our charter in the union, At the
same time the interests of the munich
pality arc protected by the local con-
stitution which we nav accommodates
and submitted for adoption to the fn-
/ %dividual members, Our organizations
will he entirely loyal to the people
OF Richmond.
Only n resignation is peniing be-
+ fore the Organization at this time, to-
} gether with another which was On tho
list withdraw We believe these tuso
Will withdraw their designations A.
soon as they hear Of the action taken
last night. The organization IL too
Z large 10 be broker up by the with
Z drawal OF ore or two men"