union men, at the option of the employer. The news of the unionizing of the Bazoo came as a great surprise to the people here.

Mr. Goodwin will leave shortly for the City of Mexico to spend the remainder of the winter. As an evidence of the hostility of Mr. Goodwin to unions in general an incident that occurred Saturday morning may be noted:

A union printer of Sedalia met Mr. Goodwin on the street and asked him for em ployment, remarking, "I understand you are going to unionize your shop." This was the first intimation that the father had of the `son's intentions, and he lost no time in hunting him up.

"Son," said the father, "I just met a man who struck me for a job. Have you been negotiating with those union dynamiters in that direction?"

The son admitted that he had opened negotiations to that end, and the father's wrath was expressed in language more forcible than elegant. At yesterday's meeting of Typographical Union No. 206 it was voted to unionize the Bazoo office and today the contract was signed.-Kansas City Star.

RESULTS OF AGITATION.

Even the agitation of the question of affiliation with the American Federation of Labor is bringing results in the way of material assistance from some of the A. F. of L. organizers. While the result of such agitation is yet purely problematic, it is hoped by many members of organizations now affiliated, that it will result in a favorable vote being cast and that their proffered assistance in organizing the great body of unorganized Clerks throughout the country will be accepted. The fol lowing are extracts from letters received during the past few days at the general offices:

"I can report progress in an effort I have been making to get the Railway Clerk of this city organized and hope that I can soon send you an application for a charter for them, and get the boys properly lined up. This city affords a splendid opportunity for a strong local, there being five railroad offices here. Hoping to be able to send you a good report within the next few days, I am, fraternally yours, (Signed) *

District Organizer, A. F. of L. There is not a local lodge within two hundred miles of the city above referred to, and the offer of such assistance is very timely.

Then here is another:

"As the organizer of this district, I have been doing some work among the Railway Clerks and have prospects of forming a very good local here I now have two systems with the others to see. About forty have signed up. Will you kindly furnish me with such matter as I may need to perfect your union? I am unable to find your address as all the information I have to work upon is an old membership card issued to one of your former members. Any information you may see fit to give me will be highly appreciated. Thanking you in advance for an early reply, I beg to remain,"

(Signed)

District Organizer.

I do not wish to be understood as asserting that through affiliation we would be able to take our place in the front ranks of railroad organizations without further effort upon our part; but I do unhesitatingly make the prediction that with the cooperation and assistance of the American Federation of Labor organizers, we can double our membership during the year 1907. It will be noted from the last letter quoted above that this particular organizer had trouble in even ascertaining the address of the general offices. With affiliation, all organizers would be promptly notified of such affiliation by the officers. of the A. F. of L., and requested to make an effort to interest the unorganized Clerks in their respective cities, under the supervision of our Brotherhood. Of course, if that great army has already begun to render us aid, upon the least show of friendliness upon our part, what would they do when affiliation became a reality?

Upon one or two occasions it has been expedient, and alomst necessary, for us to ask assistance from the A. F. of L., which has always been promptly and courteously granted. At the beginning of the Southern Pacific strike a band of "strike breakers," or rather Clerks who were deluded into the belief that they were going on a peaceful mission, was recruited in Kansas City under the auspices of a certain detective agency. The general offices were advised of the fact, and a local effort made to stop them, with little success. They were being taken to a distant city where they were to meet others of their class, and proceed in a body to New Orleans. In the absence of the Grand President, as a last resort, I invoked the assistance of the Industrial Council of Kansas City in an effort to prevent. this body of Clerks from reaching the South

ern Pacific railway, with the result that a small part of the machinery of the American Federation of Labor was set in motion which, through the co-operation of our members in the city where these strikebreakers were congregating, prevented all but seven of this aggregation from crossing the "Mason and Dixon line." Of this number, three were captured by our New Or leans members before going to work. pose we had had the right to call upon every State Federation, every Industrial Council, every Trades and Labor Assembly, every City Federation in the country, it is improbable that the Southern Pacific could have secured enough "scabs" to man their smallest office.

Sup

Shortly after this strike went into effect we issued a statement covering our side of the question to "The Labor Press." sending it to every labor publication in the country. With one or two exceptions every paper that published it, or commented upon it, was representing an organization affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.

Whether we affiliate or not, we can rest assured that we have a warm friend and well wisher in the A. F. of L. But is it right for us to accept, much less ask for assistance from it, when we are willing to render none to the great principle of organization in general? If we still persist in our selfish principle of isolation, let us coin a new axiom, something like the following "isolated, independent effort is more effective than concerted, united action."

J. F. RILEY, Third Vice Grand President.

FROM SWEDEN. Stockholm, Sweden, Dec. 7, 1906. Editor Railway Clerk, Kansas City, Mo., U. S. A.

Dear Sir and Brother:-I am sorry to be obliged to inform you that I have not received the November issue of the Journal. I always get it about the 20th of each month, but have not got any later than October. It must have gone astray in some way or other.

I beg to let you know that we are fully as busy now as when I wrote you last, new cases are coming in almost every day.

Second of this month the Government

Railways celebrated their half-century day. That day I had the pleasure of addressing a big meeting of subordinate Railwaymen on the beginning of railway transportation and its growth up to the present day.

We can look forward with joy, as we have already secured to our members by far more than could be expected, although I believe we must begin to prepare for meeting a reaction, that will surely come, though it may be far off still for some time. Will you kindly give me the address of the Order of Railroad Telegraphers? I want to open up correspondence with them, and I cannot find their address.

We have had a completing election for the Parliament, as two vacancies appeared in the bench of the City of Stockholm. One place was gained by the Labor Party, as Brother Lindley, President of the Swedish Transportworkers' Society was successful in filling one vacancy, the other place was taken by the Tories.

I find that you intend to affiliate the B. R. C. with the American Federation of Labor. According to my opinion, this should be most useful to your Brotherhood, especially if you take into consideration the vast area of your country, and the troubles connected therewith, in keeping your own organizers. I am not able to give you any advice in this direction, but I feel sure that the affiliation should, for many cases, be most valuable to you.

Finishing my letter, I now beg you accept yourself, and convey to all the other brother officers of the Grand Lodge, as well as to all members of the B. R. C., throughout your country, my own and our Society's most heartfelt wishes for a merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year, full of blessings to you all. Yours very fraternally,

CARL ANDERSON.

THE A. F. OF L.

Dallas, Texas, Dec. 6, 1906.

Inasmuch as to what has been said or is to be said regarding the affiliation with the American eFderation of Labor by the B. of R. C., I wish to say a few words on that subject, through the columns of the Clerk.

First, I want it understood that I am heartily in favor of the proposition, because I believe it is the proper remedy, as we all know that in unity there is strength and if we combine our strength together with the

A. F. of L.'s strength we are sure to be better by far than without it.

Conservatism is our foundation and I am a strong believer in the same.

I want to tell you something through these columns that I would not be able to tell you otherwise, and I believe now is the time to speak and not wait until a decision is made and then begin to complain.

Much has been said about the many benefits that can be derived by us affiliating with the A. F. of L. and its vast army of organizers throughout the country, I would like for some brother or some A. F. of L. member to explain to me why the International Association of Railway Clerks of which Dan Richmond was President did not reap the great benefits that are offered us today by the A. F. of L.? When the National Order of Railway Clerks and the Order of Railway Clerks of America, consolidated at their convention, held in St. Louis, 1904, Dan Richmond represented his body of Railway Clerks and offered to join us under two considerations. First, that we assume their title to the charter issued by the A. F. of L. and second, that we assume their general indebtedness of over $1,000. We refused and I understand that the I. A. of R. C. have since forfeited their charter.

Now, brothers, I don't attempt to assert that their failure was due to the lack of assistance from the A. F. of L., as their reports show us differently. It should be remembered and understood that if the proposition is carried to affiliate with the A. F. of L. it does not mean our complete success, as each and every one must use every available avenue with our undivided efforts towards our goal, for unless we do our affiliation with the A. F. of L. will not help us any more than its affiliation with the I. A. of R. C. But with its assistance and our efforts, we can be the strongest of organized labor. Trusting the brothers of the present B. of R. C. will not lay down their efforts awaiting the results of the A. F. of L. proposition that they will utilize every available chance to build up the beloved Brotherhood to the top notch in every particular.

Fraternally yours,

HOUSTONIAN.

A CORRECTION.'

Will you kindly make the following correction in my article in November issue:

There are three million workers engaged in the Transportation business in this country, divided up amongst the Steam, Electric, Marine and Teaming industries. This is one million more workers than the F. of L. even claims to have organized. There are one million three hundred thousand employed on the steam railways.

I desire to take issue with Bro. Holman, who, being an old Federation man, should, I believe know better; he says, speaking of the Federation in the last issue:

"From its inception it has taken the stand that while unions of miners, sailors, shoemakers, cigarmakers, printers, railroad employes, etc., must each and all be left entirely free to govern themselves within their own borders, yet between the members of all unions there should be a bond as great as that between the members of the same union.

The great aim and object of the Federation is to strengthen that bond, and its method is by organization, education and inculcation, to place the labor movement upon a higher and more effective plane."

The last convention of the Federation of Labor took the steamfitters away from the plumbers and started them off with a little National organization of their own, notified the brewery workers, who, through a compact organization has for years won victories from their employers, that they must divide up their forces, turn the engineers, firemen and drivers over to organizations independent of them, with that strict autonomy Bro. Holman speaks of. And it is for this dividing up of labor forces that I say the F. of L. has been a detriment to the working class. I believe our members now on strike would appreciate the beauties of a compact organization of all the railway workers, and would agree with me in case we had one, that any organization that would destroy it was anything but good.

In closing I would also say that it is the opinion of a great many that the F. of L. is on the down grade, and its years are numbered. W. SHURTLIFF.

WORKS OVERTIME.

"All he does is to draw dividends," says the vice-president of Standard Oil, of John D. Rockefeller, and he might have added that he is the most incorrigible violator of the eight-hour labor day in the world.Charleston News and Courier.

CINCINNATI NO. 39.

Cincinnati Lodge No. 39, installed their officers for the year 1907 last evening and there was a large and enthusiastic number of brothers present. Upon invitation President Gahan, of Covington, No. 19, presided over the meeting and assisted in the installation ceremonies. After the routine business was disposed of, refreshments in plenty were served, and several of the boys made informal talks.

The speaker of the evening was President Gahan, of Covington Lodge, and his address was given in an earnest and vigorous manner and elicited much applause.

Cincinnati Lodge is in good working order for the year 1907 and the meeting last evening was a splendid indication of much activity among the members.

President Gahan's speech is appended and should be read by every member of our Order.

Address of Brother Gahan. Gentlemen and Brothers:-I think Brothers Tarvin and Shea have said all that is necessary to be said; however, in a gathering of this kind the theme most dear to our hearts is that of organization and, as I have said on different occasions before, too much cannot be said on the subject of organization or Brotherhood. I believe that each and every one of us have a mission in life, that we are put here to do at least a certain amount of good for ourselves and our fellow man and we should not let an opportunity escape us of doing this good and in my humble opinion, that opportunity is with us now and has been for the past year in the presence of organization. It is an undisputed fact, that organization as it now is, is doing a tremendous lot of good for society, as well as the individual-it is, and has been for a half century past, lifting the standard of intelligence in the man who toils; it has given him food for thought, it has brought him to a full realization of his condition; the prospects and possibilities of a brighter future has dawned upon him; it has led him to do his own thinking, instead of having some unscrupulous party do it for him, and this in itself is a vast amount of good, in fact and substance it has been an

educator. Now I can say from my own knowledge and experience and that without any fear of successful contradiction,that the laboring classes in general, and by this term I mean all those who toil for a livelihood, whether it be with brain or brawn, are better qualified in intelligence today by fifty per cent., than they were fifteen, twenty or twenty-five years ago; that their conditions morally, socially, intellectually and financially are becoming better and better every day and they owe it all to, and can thank organization alone as the greatest and most potent factor in bringing it about.

Now brothers, isn't it a great sight to be on the streets of this beloved old city on Labor Day and witness the horny hand of Labor holding full sway in a magnificent panoramic street parade where all branches of industry are represented. Can any one witness this grand display of good loyal citizenship and turn away without reflecting on the great good they are doing every day. Should not this good old city well feel proud of her Labor representation? I tell you it is a grand spectacle and should not be passed by unheeded.

Then again brothers, who is it, that are doing the most good for the uplifting of social conditions in this country. Is it the Carnegies, with their library donations? The Rockefellers, with their church donations with string attachments? Gentlemen, don't deceive yourselves, or be deceived. Let me tell you, and I say it in all candor, for I believe it to be the truth, that the greatest amount of good is coming from those in the humbler and more self-sacrificing walks of life One sweet-faced Sister of Charity struggling in the slums of one of our large cities, plying her silent vocation most earnestly and fervently with no expectation of any return for labor performed except the salvation of the needy, is doing more real good for the uplifting of humanity in one single hour, than all the Carnegies and Rockefellers ever did since we added the first to the original thirteen colonies. Where did Carnegie get his money to build libraries? He sweated it out of the horny hand of labor up in Pennsylvania for years and years and thereby accumulated one of the greatest fortunes in the history of the

Now, gentlemen, I don't want to be misunderstood. I am not condemning libraries, for I believe they are a good thing, but who profits most by them? Not the poorer classes, for they have not the time nor the opportunity to go there and when the lad becomes large enough to work, he has to be taken from school, put out in the world in order to help raise younger members of the family, and if fortune does not smile on him you will find him there year in and year out, with his nose to the grindstone, possibly until overtaken by old age, or until an all-wise and all-loving Providence sees fit to remove him from the scenes of his suffering and take him home to his last reward. Therefore, I say, to the four winds with his library business and its life; for they are nothing more than monuments of fame to this sturdy old Scotchman, when he is gone and he never intended this for anything else. Let Carnegie and his ilk pay to labor and their help, a sufficient compensation for services performed, and they in turn will be able to educate their children without the aid of libraries. Then again, brothers, there are far better ways of spending money in this country to do real good than the building of libraries. Money for charitable purposes should be expended where it is most needed and where it will do the most good. For instance, take our orphan asylums, filled with those sweet little innocents, left alone in the world, with no one to care for them, except the charity of the kind-hearted, or a loving Providence. Our poor houses and infirmaries, chiefly habited by old men and old women, who after a life of hard and honest toil studded with misfortunes probably too numerous to mention, find themselves in the sunset of their lives with no where to turn their head for shelter except some charitable institution, our Homes of the Friendless, where people alone and desolate on the streets of Our large cities after dark can turn for guidance and deliverance from the snares and pitfalls of a large city and that criminal element who ply their nefarious practices after nightfall, our hospitals, where the sick and the maimed are cared for, or our large tenement districts, where people are at times hungry, where homes are mere hovels where otherwise good mothers are perforce obliged to sell their honor on account of their surroundings in order to put bread in the mouths of their little ones. Gentlemen, I realize that this is strong language, but the conditions warrant the bringing forth; they are sad and deplorable to a degree and there is no denying that they exist, therefore I say these are the places for every charitably inclined multi-millionaire to bestow some of their benignent benevolence, if they are sincere in their desires to do the real necessary for suffering humanity and ab

ject conditions. But no, there would be nothing left behind as a token of their fame by doing good to these institutions and conditions. Now, brothers, it is up to us and people in our station of life to remedy these existing evil conditions. We know from past experiences that no one else will do it. I am fully aware of the fact that our constitution prohibits the discussing of politics and religion, I am also aware of the fact that they are both dangerous questions and should be to the greatest extent left strictly to their own confines, for they have rent asunder the most loving and peaceful family ties and would probably do likewise for societies if permitted to be discussed at random or indiscreetly. I can appreciate the fact that men will differ in opinion on these questions and they have a perfect right to. But realizing all this and giving it the full weight of the consideration and sober thought, the assertion is forced upon me that the ballot is our only recourse for the bringing about of changed conditions and we should exercise our full privilege in this respect and vote as a unit on all questions pertaining to labor with a total disregard of party affiliations and until we do this one can't expect for labor any material, genuine or self-sustaining progress. Now, brothers, I would counsel you to cast aside all selfish motives and desires and work together for the general welfare of the Brotherhood. You have accomplished a whole lot so far and you are yet in your infancy. You Cincinnati boys have a fine lodge, a good set of officers and there is nothing to hinder you from increasing your membership right along, as you have a fine field to work in, and I hope in the near future you will again have to seek larger quarters and keep your hall committee busy. Each and every one of you should give to your officers your undivided support and if you do this, there is nothing short of providential interference which can stem the tide. Remember, no great tasks have ever been accomplished, no great works ever consummated, without their sufficient quota of real hard labor. We can not expect to set idly by and wait for results for they do not come for the waiting and by so doing, we would be but waiting and listening to the song of the siren until she transformed us into domestic slavery. In the words of the immortal Patrick Henry, of Colonial times, "This is not the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for Liberty." I hope that in this advanced and enlightened age that we of the present day are not "disposed to be of those, who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not," those things which so nearly concern our domestic salvation and welfare. If that struggle back in 1776 to throw off the shackles of British thralldom was a great struggle, and no one will gainsay that part of it, for those were times when but to live was to try men's hearts and souls, then I say this struggle of labor today, one hundred and twenty-five years later for the upholding of our rights as free and untram