The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-05-17
D0RTON IS
DELICATE To
CONVENTION

yearly 1000 delegates from all
parts OF the United StAtes are At
tending tina Annual convention of
the DfcthsYAeod OF Locomotive
Ftrstntn ana Eaeintmsa At Hous-
ton, Texas. The convention will
probably last three more w<eks.
II. l. Doftoa 10 delegate from Lodge
ess B. Of l.. r. 4 e. located At Ham
mond.
-Four cities. San Francisco. Calf.
Evansville. Ind; Springfield. Ill;
and Detroit. Mich. are bidding for
the next convention. A committee
has this under advisement. Hous-
ton ID allowing the visitors = great
time.
Mayor Oscar p. Holcome delivered
the address Of welcome. He praise d
the high type men included in the
organization ana called attention
to the aims towards which they are
striving.
Economists" he said. are only
reluctantly allowing US to get away
from the old and absurd notion that
human labor IL but q commodity to
be brought and sold a. 80 much beef
on the market But surely and
rapidly we are growing to realize
that labor 10 moro than com
modify, that it 8 human, and that
any man or agency that does not
make ample allowances for. that
human agency IL doomed to disas-
ter.
No sooner had the thunder of
-
front and the railroads had been
handed back to the owners. than
we heard q mighty cry for = reduc-
ton in the wages of the workers.
During all that time I strained my
ears to some one from that side of
the fence suggest = cut in the en-
ormous salary of those who own
and operate the railroads. but I
strained them in vain. am still
listening with patience.
AS mayor of a city. 1 have some
times wrsstis with public service
corporations. They always insist on
have invested In their business, and
when We start out to see how many
dollars they have invested in that
business, that is where the clash
comes. 1t seams that when = cer-
poration puts one dollar In its
business 1t grows to two or three
on the books. That is where the
fight gets warm.
There are two elements engaged
in transportation, each Of which
must share In the PROFITS accruing
from that great public service.
"One Is men-you men who do the
just plain, commons everyday dol
lars that provide the tracks. en-
sines, cars and tools with which
you work. Each must have its
part of the proceeds OF its joint
efforts.
Now, IL the owners OF these dol
lars come along and put 1t over on
the government that they have
twice as many dollars invested as
they actually have, and they get
paid on that basis. then you men
must suffer.
II any of you men should pad
pay roll that was entrusted to you.
you would be likely to get into
State boarding house for . few
years.
But I say TO you that the cor
poration that pads its capital ac-
count 10 Just as vicious morally.
That Is one of the problems that
confronts your great organization
now. It is one OF the problems that
concerns the whole country. which
in the end must stand the burden
of those who would reap unearned
profits and garner where they have
not sown.
Some day 4 great artist will
chisel a wonderful statue to the
American worker. and his prototype
will be one of the rail workers OF
this Countrywide most truly repre-
sentative type OF American.
The rail worker of America has
been the pioneer who has pushed
forward and reclaimed the wilder
ness We speak of Hill and Har-
riman and some OF these great rail-
road builders as empire builders"
They were great generals, but you
men have been the privates, the
captains and the coronels.
Chilled by the frosts and cold Of
winter. and scorched by the burning
sun Of summer. you have risked
and privations: you have
been separated from your families;
you have endured hardships until
you have made the railroads this
side of the Atlantic the wonder of /
the civilized world"
Edward F. Heating. editor and
former congressman, was also one
of the principal speakers OF the
opening sessions.