The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-03-14
RAILROAD MEN
PROTEST TRUCKS
ASSOCIATION OF RAILWAY AND
EXPRESS EMPLOYEES OF THE
IRON RANGE PASS RESOLUTIONS
PROTESTING THE TRUCKING
PERMITS.

AT a meeting in Virginia a few days
ago, the railroad men of the Ranges
went on record protesting the invasion
of the truck lines into this territory in
resolutions which speak for themselves.
The meeting expressed the opinion
that the information contained in the
resolutions are an honest opinion and
fittingly made the statement that every
community would be affected. They
also asked for the earnest cooperation
of the people in the move and in re-
turn promise their continued patron
age and good will. The resolutions are
as follows:
Whereas, railroad employees of Vir-
ginia and neighboring cities-many of
whom have grown old in the service
of their respective employers-are
being forced out of employment
through merchants and wholesalers
diverting their freight business from
the railroads to motor trucks operating
on public highways from the Twin
Cities, Duluth and other points, and
Whereas, the livelihood of more than
1000 employees and their families in
Virginia and surrounding territory is
endangered by such diversion of bus
mess to motor trucks, and
Whereas, the annual earnings of such
railroad employees in this neighbor-
hood exceeds $2,50O,OO0 which amount
is practically all spent in our COM
munity thereby giving strength and
stability to the business life of our
community, and enabling merchants
to sell their wares to class of wage
earners who command good salaries
and therefore make a very desirable
class of customers, and
Whereas, the diversion of such
freight traffic to motor trucks will re-
fleet itself in the earnings of these
employees and in the business of the
merchants of the community who serve
such employees, and
Whereas, a continuation of this
practice will but add to an employment
situation already acute in this COM
munity, and
Whereas, the various railroads OPP
Grating on the Range" give a type of
service that is difficult to excel, and
seldom equalled in any part of the
country,
Be it therefore resolved, that the rep
resentatives of these railroad en-
ployees here assembled having formed
the Association of Railway and Ex-
press Employees of the Iron Range do
earnestly and emphatically protest the
diversion of freight traffic by mer-
chants and wholesalers from the rail-
roads to the, motor trucks, and
Be it further resolved that we pro-
test the actions of the Minnesota Rail
road and Warehouse Commission in
the wholesale granting of franchises
to motor truck lines to operate over
highways running parallel to railroads
and where such railroads give all the
service that is needed by such COM
munities, and
Be it further resolved that copies of
this resolution be furnished to the
local newspapers and also to the Dull
nth leading newspapers, a copy mailed
to the Minnesota Railroad and Ware
house Commission, a copy to the
Chamber of Commerce of Virginia,
Eveleth and Duluth, copy to the City
Council Of Virginia and Eveleth, copy
to merchants and wholesalers at Vir-
ginia and Eveleth, and copy to the
various wholesalers at Duluth, a copy
to the Kiwanis club, the Rotary club
at Virginia.