Phoenix tribune., 1919-07-05
Substantial Men of Oklahoma lncor
porate Union for Protection of Col
ored Employees of the Nations
Railway System-Five Brother
hoods in Prospect.
Especial to The Tribune)

w lOlNb IL 1.y JuuC
The Interstate Association of Negrf
Trainmen of America, looking to the
perfecting of union of all unorgan
led colored employees of the railway
lines of America, for their full pro
lection in working conditions and
| wages, has been incorporated in the
District of Columbia, following the
completion of preliminary plans in
augurated about a year ago.
Attorney e. T. Barbour, of FL Reno
Okla, is named as general counsellor
and organizer; Richard A. Buford, OF
Oklahoma City, Okla, is general sec
retary, under bond of $4,000, with
the United States Fidelity and Guar
antee company. Both are substantial
and reliable men of affairs of Okla
homa. and are vouched for by the
strongest financial forces of that
state. L.. Melendez King, of Washing
ton, d. c., and William r. Francis, OF
st. Paul, Mimi, leaders of the bar in
their respective communities, are as
sociated with the general counsellor
staff, assuring a strong legal combi
nation. -. H. Maxwell, supervisor OF
the Pennsylvania Railway wormitories
at Washington, recognized as capa
ble business man by the Pennsylvania
oo n frI,{
hundred Negroes, is one of the incor
porators Of the association and will
have an important part in the direc-
tion of it's affairs. Wallace Barksdale
of this city, also railway attache, is
charter member and an active
worker in the organization.
The objects of the Interstate Asso
citation of Negro Trainmen are: To
maintain and insure standard work
ing conditions and uniform wage
scale; to destroy caste and color pref
udice that initiate against justice as
to these essentials; and to establish
reciprocity between such other bodies
of organized labor as shall be neces-
sary for the promotion of the welfare
of the Negro employees of the ma.
tons railway lines. 1t has the ex-
elusive right, under it's terms of in
corporation, to form a national union
of Negro railway employees, subor-
dinate associations as auxiliaries to
the parent stem. The association at
this time has upwards of 1000 mem
bers, and its branches extend into the
states of Pennsylvania, Maryland
New York, Ohio, Florida, Mississippi
Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas and
the District of Columbia The pres
ent plans contemplate the formation
of five brotherhoods, to include all
classes of labor now being performed
by members of the race upon the rail
way systems of the land. The pro
moters declare that the Interstate AS
sociation is destped to become one
of the greatest labor. unions in the
United States, not less effective from
a racial standpoint than the American
Federation of Labor, in conserving the
common rights of our trainmen.
Recently the general counsellor, E.
T. Barbour, was invited into confer
ence at Atlantic City by Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, for complete sur
vey of the wishes and policies of the
association in the maintenance of un-
ion reciprocity between the A. F. of
L. and the Negro Trainmen's Associ-
alton. Subsequent to this interview,
Mr.. Barbour had decided that no fur
ther negotiations will be entered into
until the matter can be thoroughly
considered at the forthcoming special
meeting of the trainmen, as it is felt
that the formation of any kind of an
alliance just now might not be to the
best interests of the Negro employees
in question.
The primary aim of the organizers
is to place the association upon a firm
business basis, and its success in at
tracting to its ranks a group of our
most intelligent, influential and pub
lic-spirited men is regarded as trib'
ute to its worth as a factor for racial
uplift. The phenomenal progress
made during the past few months is
persuading its sponsors to believe that
the association is to fill large place