Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-09-17
UNCLE TED'S BEDTIME STORY
He Tells Jack About the Plumb Plan OF
Handling the Railroads.

From all appearances Jack had just
been dipped in a coal bin. From his
head to his feet he was one mass OF
dirt, and as he ran in the front door
late for supper Uncle Ted called to
him, "Well, where has my little street
urchin been this time?"
1--WE been down to the round house
in the railroad yards and I'm going to
be an engineer too, answered Jack
with pride.
$50" smiled Uncle Ted, your
going to be a railroad man? | sup
pose they have told you lots OF things
about the railroads down there and
what they are trying to do with them. "
"Wsll," said Jack, "Mr. Jones,
that big fat engineer, told me I'D bet
ter learn all about railroads and trains
because the men who run the trains are
goirg to fix it seon so that they will
get half the fares and do just as they
please.
"Just as | thought. "' answered
Uncle Ted. "Now run along and wash
your face and hands, get your sister
and hurry back here and while you're
eating supper al tell you the true
story of the railroads.
Jack wasted little time in washing
and, after calling Ruth. the two chill
dren sat quietly, eagerly waiting for
the stony.
"Now children, "began Uncle Ted,
first of all must explain something
about the clubs that the railroad men
belong to before telling you about their
plan to own and run the railroads. You
see the engineers who run the enignes,
the tiGemen who keep the fires going in
the furnaces, under the big engines the
conductors who take your tickets. the
brakemen who take care of the red
flags and lights and let the engineers
know what is going on in the back OF
the trains, and all the men who work
in the railroad shops, fixing broken
engines and cars, belong to a club
called the Railroad Brotherhoods.
These Brothernoods or clubs are divided
INTO -four. Glasses, one for the engineers,
one for the firemen, and so on. :"
"But why do they have clubs?" said
Jack.
"They have clubs so that that they
can decide just how much money they
will get and how many hours they
will work. You see the railroad men
are paid by railroad companies who
have to pay all expenses of the roads.
These companies are headed by Presi
dents and bodies of men called Boards
OF Directors. They are responsible for
men belonging to the Railroad Broth
erhoods want more money or shorter
hours they tell the railroad heads. If
they don't get what they want they /
have what is called a strike. That is,
they all refuse to work until they get
just waht they are asking for. Some
times men from the heads of the rail-
roads and men from the Railroad
Brotherhoods get together and make i
a plan that suits everybody and then
then go back to work.
"Daddy says these railroad heads
lidn't have muth to say during the
war" interrupted Jack,
"No during the war the Government
'an the railroads and will continue to
'un them foi some tine or until the
President says otherwise. When the
Government first started running the
'oads President Wilson put Mr.. Nc
Adoo, who was Secretary of the Treas
Try, at the head of all the railroads of
he country. That is ore reason there
s trouble now. You see, during the !
var we bad TO move our soldiers ard
ood just as fast as possible. President
wilson thought the best way was to
ave the Government do it, Mr.. Nc f
Idoo had so much TO do already that
e couldn't worry much about the rail- /
Dads. Whenever the railroad workers
led more money be let them have
, without any question. He didn't
ant any strikes because it-would look ;,
ad for him. But because he let them
ave their way during the war, N
'hether it was right or wrong, the
len now want the Gvefhment to buy
ne railroads for them so they can get r,
Il they want and just kick the railroad a
eads cut without asking them whether c,