Evening journal., 1920-04-29
UNION COOP
funds SOUGHT
Leader Resigns and Charges
Divide Union Into
Two Camps
BY russ sIMoNroN.

n. r. A. ~t4u lNiNi 0l'uNNhNs
DTROIr. Mich. April 29-Grand
onncers Of the United Brotherhood OF
Maintenance OF Way Employees and
Railway Shop Laborers are divided
into two camps, each accusing the
other OF gross neglect or duty Ex-
perls are at work on The books try
ing 10 trace s2idOOO alleged unac-
Enemies ol cooperation have seized
the controversy as an argument
against cooperation aud allege that
ne brotherhood vast cooperative
venture Is on the rocks with $1,000.
uOO deficit due TO mismanagemenl.
Both factions agree In declaring
Thai The cooperative department Is
not affected and lhai the unions
chain Of factories and lis distribui-
Ing machinery is in good financial
condition ana making satisfactory
Here are the salient developments
of the controversy.
a.. r. Barker, grand president from
1910 and drawing Si4,OQO a year as
one of the highest paid labor officials
IN the world, resigned under fire
March IS. Four bo0kkepers In The
lreasurers oflce charged Barker with
mismsnaCemenl OF $4,000 In funds
and declared that S2l7,00O had van
shed without record on checks
issued TO Barker.
The board OF trustees ai once put
experts at the books 20 investigate
The truth OF The charges.
In a FEW wckes these experts, 10 Is
said, showed that Grand Secretary
HnI T4In
liConi In permitting Barker 10 manip-
ulale the funds seal resigned Lately
hc Withdrew his resignation and now
he wants the Job back.
While Investigation was In prog
fess. the four bookkeepers, Ted saun-
ders. l.. Miller. II. Brown and b. A.
Gladstone. were discharged and al
once offered their alleged information
for sale. according TO brotherhood
1lccrs.
That SPILLED The beans"
Barker az once charged that he had
not been given a chance TO explain
aud that his expenditures were
proper
seal charged William Dorey. chair
man, and Leo l. Kennedy. a member
VI lhr executive board. with gross
noglect of duty. He says they
Voulunt let him flc charges against
Them While Seal won't tell what he
charged. be- hints darkly that Dorcy
ni Kennedy knew why there was
rl> $4,000 in The treasury instead
= many times The amount last Feb
.nafy when the union wished 10
.i,ihc hc says, and couldn't for lack
nf fnds.A Seal says he resigned with
uul proper amount OF thought"
lhe prosecuting attorneys ofllce is
making an Investigation OF the charge
lhal Barker Incorporated S2ilOO0
iu funds
So. with two sets OF charges pend-
ing before the executive board and
with auditors rushing the check OF
lhe books OF the brotherhood. The at
mosphere is tense at headquarters
here
Whatever happens. the member
ship OF the brotherhood Is protected -
says Il. S. Britlen. attorney for the
brotherhood Barker and Seal were
under bond OF 10000 each n there
h shortage OF s2i7OO0 we can sue
10 recover on the bonds. The inyestl-
ratlon OF the books shows that this
"a the approximate total not yet ac-
counted for. 10 is absolutely false
that the unions. Industrial ventures
are shaky. Our factories have been
appraised at more than they cost us.
But we collected S300000 In dues
last month and the average monthly
income Is S200000." says Brilten. al
That rate We couldn't be ins0lvent
through a loss OF S2i7.OO0, We have
tangible assets Of Si50O0O0.
I'VE have SJ00O0O invested I'm fac
tories. 10000 in securities and mori-
cages. real estate worth S255O0 and
printing plant valued al sj0.O'0
There are other assets also