A PLEA IN BEHALF OF THE CAR INSPECTOR.

Ardmore, Okla., Feb. 6, 1911.

Editor Journal. For some months past I have intended writing, or attempting to write, the following. I have been in the service of the Rock Island as an inspector almost continually since March, 1906. I have been at my present point two years, lacking one month. Am at present a member of Westmoreland Lodge No. 30, Haileyville, Okla., this being the closest lodge to me on the Rock Island. I have been in good standing with the lodge since February, 1905. There are three roads into this station, the G. C. & S. F., the Frisco and the Rock Island. The G. C. & S. F. bas an inspector and I am placed by the Rock Island, but work "joint," doing the Rock Island and Frisco inspecting, . both terminal and interchange.

Now to my subject, and I trust I shall not be classed a knocker. In most contracts the interest of the inspector is sadly overlooked. I attribute this mainly to the fact that joint protective boards are principally composed of shop men.

Take, for an example, the last contract secured on the Rock Island.

On this district the coach cleaner was raised two cents, car repairer two cents, intermediate men two cents, and so on throughout the list with the exception of the inspector, who received 12 cents increase. This is true in the face of the indisputable fact that the inspector was the most under paid man in the car department. But it does not stop here. The inspector, under this same contract, is now denied the five hours' minimum time for a call after his regular working hours. In terminals where day and night inspectors are carried a call may be a rare thing, but not so with the outside point. In most cases the inspector is the only car department man carried. Then he is called at any hour needed. Still he is denied the five hours' minimum time.

For example, take this point. Beside myself, one car repairer and one helper are carried. Night calls are not infrequent. Suppose we three are called and it takes one hour to complete the work. The inspector is held for the proper work being done and does the same work as the repair man and helper. The repair man receives for his work five hours at 221⁄2c, $1.122; the helper receives five hours at 2012, $1.022; the inspector only receives time and one-half for actual time worked. He has therefore left his home possibly at midnight, gone to his work, performed this work, and when he returns home he realizes the magnificent sum of 36 cents for duty. My letter is in behalf of the car inspector, not the novice.

I have been on interchange jobs with men who had no more right to be classed as an inspector than they did being classed as division superintendent. In fact, they had

about as much conception of the former as they would have had of the latter.

I am writing in behalf of that man who knows what a car is and who doesn't have to get the M. C. B. book of rules every time he wants to make a decision. Neither am I dissatisfied with the job. I love the work and it is not a drag on me to do it, but I do believe that a man who makes a study of his work, who does so cheerfully, and who does his work correctly, should have more consideration at the hands of various joint protective boards than the car inspector is at present getting.

There are few inspectors in the country today who are not sadly under paid men. There are men rated as inspectors who are over paid from the simple fact that they are inspectors in title only.

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One other point. The inspector must work every day in the year, in all kinds of weather, all Sundays and all holidays. cause he has to work on all days he is denied time and one-half for Sundays and holidays. Then look at the repair man, helper or car carpenter. Call either of them on a Sunday or holiday and time and one-half is paid. Will some good brother point out to me the logic in paying time and onehalf to the man who may not be compelled to work but one Sunday in an entire year and then in denying it to the man whom we know is going to have to work all Sundays in the year?

In the January issue of the Railway Master Mechanic some inspector wrote on this subject. Imagine the consolation that inspector got as a result of having written. His advice through the Master Mechanic was, "Better get another job, brother."

But that is not it. We don't want another job. Most real car inspectors want to still be inspectors, but if they feel like I do about the matter they feel that they are worth more real money, that they render a more valuable service than the student brakeman, but they also realize that at present they are not getting it.

I believe it is up to the protective boards to take a deeper interest in the inspector than they have yet taken. They certainly can't say he is not lined up, for take them as a class, their percentage of B. R. C. of A. men will outnumber repair men, car carpenters, planing mill men, car painters, or any of them.

Again, I wish to insist that I am not knocking, but only asking for that which any just and fair minded man must admit is coming to us. Let's have other inspectors' views on this subject.

Yours fraternally,

G. O. SULLIVAN.

FROM NEW RIVER LODGE NO. 76. East Radford, Va.

Editor Journal.

After looking through the columns of the Journal and enjoying the letters written from the different lodges, but failing to find

anything from No. 76, I will endeavor to try to get in a few lines if you will allow me.

Will say in the beginning we are still alive and doing some business, but how much more could be done is a question for discussion. Now, brothers, there are others of you who could do the subject more justice than I, and I would be very much pleased to hear from any one else from No. 76 through the columns of the Journal every month. We all enjoy picking up our Journals and finding a nice write up from the different lodges, so let us all line up and see if we cannot get closer together in the coming year than we ever have been

given than taken, but just the same an increase in wages can only be obtained by joining our noble order and sticking to it until we are in a position to ask for better wages, so come upon the firing line and help to fight the battle. Then when the smoke has cleared away we can stand in a body and congratulate ourselves, as there will be no non-unions there when the roll is called. My brothers, gazing through the dark gray of early morning a figure is almost indistinguishable, but as the sun slowly rises and the rays of light lengthen, objects become more and more distinct. This is one of the processes of nature, and we are

before. There isn't anything that will do more good for the Brotherhood than to talk it up. If a drummer goes out on the road and did not talk up his business he would not succeed. It's just the same with our order. We should not talk other people's business so much, but say more about the B. R. C. of A. Now, brothers, we are making the mistake of our railroad career unless we put our shoulders to the wheel and shove a little. Remember every little helps and that advice is like medicine, easier

slow to perceive the real things and until they are placed in our hands we are slow to understand, the good as well as the bad.

The Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of America has been organized long enough to prove that it is a success and that it has been the medium through which the boys have received numerous increases in wages. There are men who want to doubt this and are shortsighted and long minded, so when we ask them to join the order they will begin to manufacture excuses entirely void

of the least particle of common sense and judgment. Such men are apparently unaware of the fact that labor is a commodity worth all it will bring, and that perfect organization enhances its value. Brothers, we must continue trying to disperse the mists obscuring the visions of our fellow workers who do not yet seem to see the light of unionism as we view it. We must show them what the order and our money has done for them during the past eight or ten years. Get them to read the Journal, pass it around to them and make them feel that we still hold out the warm hand of fraternal friendship to them, for we want them to come and go along with us hand in hand.

man

Now, brothers, word a to the who keeps his dues paid up and never looks inside of the lodge room. That is still a slow way to do business. I have had several men to say to me, who keep their dues paid up, that the order was not worth a d. Now, I just take it the other way; the order is O. K., but such brothers as that are not good material to build up a Brotherhood, for they simply pay their dues for a shield in time of trouble. Now, brothers, we all know that the only way to success is to stick close to business. Let us, then, link together and leave all disputes alone; let brotherly love and unity insert her name in the motto of our order, let everyone refer to the obligation which he has taken, attend lodge regularly. Staying away don't get you anything; it only tends to lessen the strength of our order. The Sooner we are thoroughly organized the sooner we will be in position to demand our rights. Let us see who is from Missouri, for united we stand, divided we fall." Come, boys, one and all, help us in our friendly call-it's a duty we owe to our loved ones. I hope I have not criticised any one, for that is not my purpose. I don't mean to do aught to anyone, especially the man who works hard for his living. Now, Brother Editor, I will close for this time. I don't know how this will look in print, but it will surprise me if it gets past the waste basket. I will ask you to correct all mistakes and bad spelling. I work at night and have only a few minutes at a time to write. Trusting I may see a good write up from some of the other brothers of No. 76, I remain,

Yours fraternally,

TAYLOR E. SLEDD.

FROM EL RENO LODGE NO. 37.
El Reno, Okla., Feb. 5, 1911.

Editor Journal.
If you will spare me a little space as I
am all alone this afternoon I will try to
write a few words to the Journal.

I have not got my February Journal yet, but I very often pick up the back numbers and find pieces that I have read before and read them again. I like to read the many letters from all over the country,

so when I read a letter from a car whacker I know he is a union man or he would not be writing to the Journal.

I see my proposed amendment to the constitution on the Orphans' Home question is indorsed by three brothers, viz., one from Cotton Belt Lodge No. 7, by Brother J. A. Moore, and by a traveling brother from Denver, Col., in the January issue, and by Brother R. S. Roberts of Argenta Lodge No. 423 in the December issue, and I believe that a great many others would indorse it if they would give it their attention and serious thought. I think I have said as much on the Orphans' Home question as anyone who has ever written to the Journal, and can say more if necessary. I started some time ago by asking each member here to donate 10 cents a month. Well, on the start it was all right, but other lodges did not all follow up the idea, all but a very few, so I though if we could get a little amendment in the direction intimated in the constitution it would be much better.

When I was asking for the 10 cents per month from each member some of them would not pay the ten cents and got sore at me for asking for it, and that is the way it goes. Now, brothers, don't you think this is a very one-sided business, because they will not all pay. I know because I have had the experience, and you will find some few at all places all the time kicking about this and that and if you will notice they are usually the ones that don't attend lodge. They will stay away from lodge and then kick and raise the devil because there was something done or said they did not like, but thank goodness we haven't very many of that kind here.

The proposed amendment is going to be put to a vote if I can have my way about it, and I think it should read as follows:

Each subordinate lodge shall contribute not less than 10 cents per month on each member in good standing to be sent in quarterly to the Loyal Star Carmen's Orphans' Home Fund by the financial secretary for the benefit of building and maintaining a home for disabled carmen, and widows of carmen and orphan chil dren of members of the B. R. C. of A., and the custodian shall make a report through the Journal each quarter of all the money thus received.

Now, brothers, don't you think this would improve our constitution? Other orders have homes and the carmen can have one if they want it and will go at it in the right way, and I think this is the way to get it. Get it fixed so there will be some system to it and that is the only way we will ever have one. Now let us get down to business and think this proposition over and vote for the amendment to the constitution.

Well, it is about supper time and as I and my little boy are batching it, it is time I was getting the skillet on the stove. The way I tell if the skillet is hot, I spit in it and if it fries I know it is hot and if it

don't it is not. Well, I will finish my letter after supper.

Well, supper is over and I have got my dishes washed, so I can finish my letter. My little boy goes to school and now he is studying his lessons so he will know them tomorrow. Well, I almost forgot, we have a Brotherhood overalls agency established her in El Reno. That will help out some, don't you think so.

I believe in working for organized labor in every way. If you are a union man show it, and if you are not a union man get an application, fill it out and get in line or get out of the way; go jump into the river.

We have but one life to live so let us working people work together and work to the interest of each other. If we don't, who will work to our interest? No one, we have got to fight our way through ourselves, so why not work together? The corporations are organized, and well organized, not for the benefit of the working man, you bet they are not; so we have got to fight our own battles, so let us work together and get every good worthy man in the order we can. We want none but good men, however, and men who are worthy of the Brotherhood. Well, I guess I had better ring off and leave space for some better writer, but I want all members to think about the amendment I have mentioned to our constitution and study it out and see if they do not think it is one of the best things we can do.

Yours fraternally,

J. D. HELLUMS.

FROM LITTLE CEDAR LODGE NO. 458. Cedartown, Ga., March 11, 1911.

Editor Journal.

As nothing has been written from Little Cedar Lodge No. 458 in so long, I suppose most every one thinks it dead, but we are glad to say that it is still alive and pushing forward as fast as it can. We have a good membership roll here and are hunting more that ought to be members. We have a good road to work for and are trying to render them the very best service we are capable of doing, which every man should do, for if he is a union man at heart I think it is his duty to give the company he is working for his best service, and he expects them to show him their appreciation by giving him justice, which we all want, and I believe if we are all union men at heart and give our best service to our order and our employer as is needed we will have good positions and a worthy order, for we need them both, and if every member would do his duty to his order we would have much better lodges, but if a person is just joining a labor organization for past time and expecting something for nothing he is getting in the wrong place. for he would be no help to himself nor anyone else, so let's every one get together and give our lodges all the attention that is needed; visit our lodges and go to the

meetings and see and realize what is needed and get it into our hearts to build up our organization and if we will do this there is no reason why we cannot have an organization to be proud of, but if we do not take an active interest in it we will have nothing more than a name, and that would be worthless, so let's all of us work to gether and have something that we can still be prouder of than what we have at present.

At our small place here there is not a man eligible to be a member but what is lined up. and we are very proud of it, too, and we are trying to do the best we can, both for ourselves and the company, and hope all the other lodges are the same way, but we have not got as good a lodge as we want, as we want to keep growing, as the carmen are needed as much as any other craft of workmen and we want every man that works in the car department to join us as we need his support and he needs ours. So let's try to encourage every man we can and always give a non-union man a chance to see if he would make a good, faithful member, as it is known by everyone that organized labor rules now. adays. I believe and hope that it will not be long before every man will have to join the organization of his craft, which will be for his own good as much as his fellow workman's, for we not only help ourselves by being loyal to our order but help our fellow workman, and by being loyal to our order and to our work we can get the right spirit, which will enable us to do a greater day's work, for we will feel that we are benefitted by it, and our employer will be benefitted by us doing a greater day's work, which will cause them to help our orders instead of trying to run them down and shun a union man, as there are some organizations that are suffering from this now; their employers are trying to shun them, and that is what we want to overcome and show them that we want to give them a square deal and good service, which we can by every member working to the interest of his brother member and keep trying to go forward, as we want to keep climbing. We cannot go all at once SO therefore we must take it step by step and make each step one that will hold, as we do not want to fall back. As we have got started to progressing forward let's exert our every nerve to keep going right, for we have left nothing at the bottom that we want, but let's look for something as we go along.

From the number of new lodges organized during the last year it seems as if our strength in the B. R. C. of A. is increasing pretty rapidly and I do not believe there is a faithful member but what is proud to hear of every new member admitted, and with the aid of every member we can keep gaining new members and new lodges, so let's every one of us do our duties faithfully towards keeping