Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-10

few hours before it was scheduled to occur
The secretary of the union Immediately hur-
ried forth and canvassed the town for volun-
teers who would take places of the strikers
He succeeded in securing 200 recruits in
Guiding clerks shopkeepers, professional men
and workers of all kinds, and finally large
contingent from the Sheffield golf links.
With this long list of volunteers in hand,
the secretary then rushed to the power house
and soothed it's irate manager.
Call in your foreman he said, land let
me show him this"
The foreman came and saw and was con-
quered. After short caucus with the rest
O" his workmen, he announced that there
would be no strike.
This was not an expression of antagonism
against the miners or the men in the power
works." declares the unions president. 1T
was merely an expression of self-preservation
on the part OF the community. -
'"The supply of food, milk, and coal was
threatened when the miners strike broke
out. 1t seemed as though the people would
have to starve for want of men to run the
trains and ship the foodstuffs. We recruited
hundreds of IN to assist the government TO
provide coal and food to the cities and out
lying districts: we provided constables to
guard the railway stations; we Supplied work
ers to run the milk trains. The transporta-
ton tangle lasted longer tLan we anticipated.
To relieve those who had gone on duty I'M
mediately the strike was called, summons
was sent on. for an additional force By
the end of the day 1900 men had answered
it. Again / say it sounds like strike-break-
ing, but 1t isn't. Those men were Interested
in their own families, their own homes. All
of them were engaged in their individual Ia
bors when the call went out They left these
to insure the welfare of the com -nunity~ the
middle classes, the consumers, call it any
thing you will. When the regular transpor-
tation workers came back to their jobs these
men returned to theirs y
Not Anti-LabOr
Such calls to duty are rare, however, be-
cause the middle classes are not vitality affect
ed by the ma jority of strikes and can afford
to ignore them Most of their energy is ex-
pen:sd in agitation for lower prices, lower
rates, lower taxes. The union claim. much
credit for having brought about recent re-
duction in the cost of living in England, and
ir checking lavish expenditures on the part
of the government. One thing which it has
particularly fought is the well-established ma
tional custom of presenting free railroad
passes to members of parliament.
ga program Of economy with fair dealing
for those who make up the backbone of the
nation, that is What the middle classes union
stands for" according to it's chief executive.
Our membership is still comparatively small
we only have ESQ, 900 men and women en-
rolled in some 800 branches in England and
Scotland--but this membership is growing all
the time. I'll venture to say that no trade
can show record of similar strength IN SO
short period of organization"
The only organization in this country
which corresponds in any way wi h British
Middle Glasses union is the League of Wom-
en- Voters. 1t is using practically the same
tactics to enforce legislation favorable to
women. Last year, the American middle
classes gave evidence Of their ability to form
an organized protest when they paraded in
over alls in New York. But the flame of
their rebellion soon died. And this is odd,
because the paraders full demonstrated their
power. The price of wearing apparel came
down.