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brothers, and foremost among them are the members of El Paso No. 13. In every way possible the Brothers of No. 13 were prompt, generous and energetic in rendering assistance, and furthermore they were patient and trustful; and it is the willing patient and trustful help that counts, that is truly helpful, that stimulates to renewed and persistent effort.

Your commendation and assurance of continued support are prized more highly than I can find words to express; I ask for and desire no greater reward from my Brother members. This evidence of your confidence and approval encourages me to strive more zealously than before, if possible, to gain that unity of purpose and effort which will easily and rapidly lead us to the front ranks of organized labor.

Earnestly thanking you for this testimonial and assuring you of my devotion to the cause, I remain,

Sincerely and fraternally,

GRAND PRESIDENT.

E. C. BALLINTINE.

The above cut of Brother Ballintine is a very good one from a postal-photo, and we take pleasure in publishing it in the colums of The Clerk, thus making him better known to our membership and more prominently identifying him with the movement.

Brother Ballintine was appointed as National Organizer in June of last year, and was a most faithful and successful worker

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Grand President B. of R. C.
Kansas City Mo.

Dear Brother:-Herewith I beg to hand you my resignation effective the 21st inst on which date my salary ceased.

This action is forced by the condition of my wife's health; an organic trouble heretofore unsuspected, has been developed after a short seige of la grippe necessitating my continued presence at home and it is with great reluctance that I give this work up before completing the organization of the clerks on the Atlantic coast line.

With kindest regards to you all and best wishes for your continued success I beg to remain

Fraternally yours

E. C. BALLINTINE.

It was a grievous disappointment to the grand officers to lose his assistance in the work; and it was a serious loss to the Brothehood especially so as it occurred just when the grand president's time and attention was so wholly monopolized by the Southern Pacific strike that he could make no effort to fill the vacancy.

Brother Ballintine has recently removed to Jacksonville Fla. and has been chosen president of lodge No. 52. We congratulate that lodge upon gaining so competent and faithful an officer and wish Brother Ballintine good fortune and success in all things.

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Dear Sir and Brother: I venture to address a line to you feeling that I should like to explain if possible the late action of Lodge No. 70 in surrendering its charter.

In the first place I will say that interest in the lodge was entirely dead; the meetings seldom attended by more than four or five of the officers and the eventual dissolution of the lodge was a question of time only. At our last meeting, of which all members were duly notified, only seven showed up, and the old officers, declining to serve further (they had held office two years), there was no election for the ensuing year,

and a motion to disband was carried without dissent; and I have not heard a word of comment or criticism on the action taken since. Some of these members, who, while carried on the rolls, never by any chance attended a lodge meeting.

I am exceedingly sorry that it has come to this, and I believe the boys will regret it. One of the greatest mistakes made in our days of prosperity was the slackness shown in collecting dues. I know for a fact that only one-third of the membership paid the freight-the rest were simply deadheads, many of whom never paid any more than the dollar demanded with their application. The first member who talked suspension for non-payment was deemed an anarchist; but it had to come to this, of course, from inability to pay per capita on a lot of dead-heads, and we accordingly dropped some seventy at a sitting, some of whom were seven or eight months in arrears. Rather poor financiering you will

say.

I was present some time ago at a smoker given by the defunct lodge, Manhattan No. 70; one of the guests of the evening was a union bricklayer or plasterer, or something of the kind, and he made a speech, whereof the whole trend was "pay your dues." He harped so much upon this that the boys laughed and afterwards said he wasn't much of a speaker, but he was right; and perhaps so were they in their criticism of our horny-handed friend who, if he can't speak, or don't know so much, at least knows enough to organize, stay organized and through organization secure better conditions for himself. I am inclined to think he has the best right to laugh, don't you? But the spectacle we present would make the very angels weep.

I heartily congratulate you upon your able management of the late strike-it is not lost by any means, and I have no doubt has been watched in every freight office in the country. All honor to the boys who so pluck. ily stuck to their guns and, en passant, I would say that it pleases me to think that No. 70 was not among those who were found wanting when the assessment was levied. I told the boys that we ought to stand a dollar assessment per month for an indefinite time. It is no great hardship, and I am surprised that you had so much trouble in collecting same.

Our local organization, of which I wrote

to you, is still in existence, but I don't hear much of it. They don't believe in paying Grand Lodge expenses, and think they can get all they want by local organization. By their argument this nation should consist of some forty-five independent states; we could then cut out Teddy Roosevelt and Congress (which has just voted itself a 50 per cent raise in pay; nothing small there, is there?) Our fellows have reverted to the most primitive plan of organization, but I shall worry you if I go on any longer. With best wishes for your continued success and assuring you of my personal regards, I am, Yours fraternally,

WILLIAM H. SIMMS. Ed. Note.-Lodge No. 70 has had but a small membership for over two years and has had much difficulty in holding its charter during that period. The leading members will become attached to the Grand Lodge.

WANT A NEW WAGE SCALE.

Clerks of Lake Shore Railroad Given Recent Advance, Now Complain About Hours. For the purpose of framing a new wage scale, the general adjustment board of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks met delegates from all the principal cities on the line of the Lake Shore between Chicago and Buffalo, at the Jefferson hotel in this city yesterday.

On the first of December the Lake Shore clerks secured a 20 per cent advance in wages which, it now develops, was but a part of their demand. The clerks now contend that the working hours are not satisfactory, there being too much overtime and Sunday work.

About twenty delegates met with the adjustment board, but did not reach a final agreement as to the new scale to be presented to the Lake Shore. Another meeting will be held later, probably in Cleveland.— Toledo Times.

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Railroad Men Say Loss of El Paso Business to G. H. Account of Clerks' Strike Was Heavy Blow.

That the G. H. & S. A. gave El Paso the Texas common point rate to win back the business that it lost here on account of the clerks' strike, is the opinion advanced by local railroad men as the reason for the great reduction in rates that El Paso gets.

"The G. H. & S. A. lost thousands of dollars in El Paso traffic on account of the clerks' strike," said a local railroad man this morning. "Merchants here sympathized

with the clerks and began to route their goods over other lines. It happened at the time that the G. H. could not handle very much business either in or out of El Paso on account of the strike and the other lines received the business because they could handle it.

"Since the strike was called off many merchants who formerly patronized the G. H. & S. A. have continued to do business with the other roads instead of going back to the G. H., and the loss to the G. H. has of course been appreciable.

"It looks very much as if the G. H. wanted to placate El Paso business men by handing them this little gift-for it is nothing more than that. El Paso receives the greatest advantage from the reduction, the towns west of here being the only ones who share in the lower rates, and no other motive is apparent for the atcion."

While it is believed that the rate was given El Paso for effect there is none who believe that the rate will be withdrawn and it is regarded as a permanent rate for El Paso.

The Texas & Pacific and El Paso & Southwestern have published the same rates as those announced by the G. H. & S. A., giving El Paso the benefit of the Texas commcn point rate and the New York proper rate on water shipments. The rates, as previously announced, are as follows:

The Texas common point rate from seaboard territory outside of New York is $1.62, $1.41, $1.20 and $1.09.

The Southwestern's seaboard business is handled from El Paso to Santa Rosa, thence to Memphis and from Memphis to Savannah, where connection is made with steamships. The Southwestern, G. H. and Texas & Pacific are the three roads interested.

El Paso merchants are greatly pleased at the reduction and many are directing that orders for goods already in shall not be shipped until February 21, in order to get in on the lower rate. El Paso merchants will hereafter be enabled to enter territory in New Mexico hertofore prohibitive and will also be able to go further east than heretofore.-El Paso Herald.

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CRESCENT CITY No. 54.

The remarkable growth of Crescent City Lodge No. 54 and the benefits it has gained for its members during the past two years furnishes an object lesson which railway clerks everywhere should note and profit by.

In May, 1904, this lodge was having difficulty in securing the attendence of enough members at regular meetings to legally transact business, and its aggregate membership was about eighty; it was rent by internal dissention and some of the members were very anxious to split up and start another lodge. But wiser counsel prevailed, harmony was established and persistent and

united effort made to build up the to al membership to accord more nearly with the number of clerks employed in that city.

Gradually, the membership was increased to about two hundred where it hung until the lodge took up a grievance of about twenty of its members, employed at a substation, and by taking a determined and persistent stand succeeded in effecting an adjustment, about one year ago, which gave the twenty members increased pay, shorter hours and other benefits. This practical demonstration of the possibility of securing benefits through organization gave the lodge an impetus that carried the total number up to 312 on September first.

During the month of September the members employed by three different lines in the city prepared and presented propositions for increased pay, etc., to their respective companies. This active effort toward betterment of conditions attracted further attention and interest, with the result that the total membership grew to 430 during that month.

In October the S. P. strike began, a contract with the I. C. Ry. was secured, the members employed by the Texas Pacific Ry. went out on strike and reached a settlement with that company in thirty-six hours, gaining increases in pay, overtime and the other usual improvements in the condition of service and the members employed by some of the other lines received increases in pay through voluntary action by their officials, because of the strikes upon the other lines. And with all that activity to stimulate the clerks to think and see that they could also surely gain advantages and consideration equal to those accorded the other classes of employes if the clerks would but make the proper effort, it is not strange that the membership jumped to 575 by November first.

During the month of November the gain was but twenty-nine, the total being 604 on December first. The report for December placed 554 in good standing for the current term and the report for January will likely include re-instatements and new members enough to again carry the aggregate number of members beyond the 600 mark.

The clerks in New Orleans have proven beyond question that it pays to make the enort to effectively organize, and that it is only necessary to make the proper effort to gain the requisite percentage of members. Making the effort is the thing neces

sary, it shows life, energy and purpose and attracts support from non-members who want to be sure that we mean business instead of merely pretending it.

Brothers, don't forget to profit by this object lesson; and prepare to be advised of other benefits to be gained and made possible by Crescent City No. 54. With a membership of such proportions and so many nons to draw from that they may double their membership, many permanent advantages and benefits are possible of attainment in a city like New Orleans; and without question the members of that lodge are sufficiently energetic and wide-awake to now continue to use their organization to the best advantage, since it can be made to pay regular dividends to do so.

BROTHER C. M. BAILEY,

Of Providence Local No. 13, who was recently unanimously elected a member of our Grand Executive Board, to succeed Bro. Underwood, has been a member of our organization for four years. He is the founder of Providence Local No. 103, which has a membership of 100 or more, of New Bedford Local No. 68; is closely connected with the members of Boston Local No. 143, and has several attached members to his credit. He will always be found ready

to help the Clerks, and do anything in his power for the good of our organization.

Bro. Bailey was born in the village of Deerfield, Mich., in 1865, and at the early age of fourteen went west.

His first railway work was on the Wabash Railway, as freight brakeman, between Brunswick and Stanberry. At that time he was the youngest man in train service on that system west of the Mississippi river. At the age of 18 he was a passenger brakeman on the famous Wabash Cannon Ball, out of Council Bluffs. In those days candles were used in the coaches for lights, and stoves for heating, the old bell cord for sig. nals to the engineer and "Armstrong," or "straight air" for braking the trains. Later he went to Wymore, Neb., on the B. & M., working three divisions from there; Concordia, Red Cloud and Atchison; then to Moberly, Mo., on the main line of the Wabash, running to Kansas City, St. Louis and Ottumwa, Iowa.

Several years ago he went to Providence, and his railroading there has been on the N., Y. N. H. & H. R. R., as yard switchman for three years; he was a member of the B. R. T. there. Failing on the color test, about five years ago, he was transferred to clerical work in the freight office, where he is now employed in the accounting department.

He resides at Arlington, R. I., a suburb to the City of Providence; is a married man with a family, is well known and has many friends.

May the good work he has done in the past be but a stepping stone to the work he may do in the future for the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks.

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BILLY.

CONVENTION SUGGESTIONS.

It is time now for our readers to become interested in what will come before the Atlanta, Georgia, convention, which will convene in May, 1907. The questions that have been mentioned, and that may be mentioned, are certain to come before the body and close study before the time arrives for decision ought to be of benefit.

Representation.

Several writers have undertaken to introduce plans for representation that were pretty thoroughly discussed several years ago. System, district or state representation plans have been introduced for the

purpose of saving money to the members and cutting down the general convention in number. Proxy voting is represented to be the way out of our present plan.

The writer has made a rather close study of the several plans and based on the experiences of the days when we had proxy representation and its unsatisfactory results, he does not hesitate to assert that such plans will not give satisfaction to the membership.

Plans for system, district or state representation cannot give the satisfaction to the membership that direct representation will give. In addition the reduction in cost is problematical. There is no assurance that time can be saved if these district, etc., bodies meet, go through the form of a regular convention, debate all the questions that they think ought to come before a convention, including changes in laws, etc., and then hold a general convention. The time used by eacn district would be very close to the time used by a general convention. It would also sectionalize, isolate and otherwise offer opportunities for a division of thought and action, concert in which is absolutely necessary for this organization.

One writer has shown how the state convention would save money by not printing reports, etc. Whenever an organization does not keep its members thoroughly informed of what it is doing its troubles commence right there. The saving made through this plan would not pay for the time it would take to discuss it.

We tried annual conventions and found they were unnecessary after we commenced to do business safely. We have been on a biennial plan for the past 15 years and truth to tell the past two conventions were hardly necessary and the time could have been extended one year between them without serious results to the Brotherhood.

So far as we now can understand there is nothing on hand that makes the holding of the coming convention imperative, except the organization law, at the time it will be held.

Whatever plan may be adopted, if a change is made, let it be with the purpose of having every lodge represented in the convention, let each one know for itself what the Brotherhood law and policy are to be for the coming period and do not attempt to save money by any false reasoning that promises to save the general or

ganization, but forces the members to pay just as much.

Let us have direct representation with direct taxation as we now have it. Our conventions will be large, we know, but they had better be too large numerically than too small.

Period Between Conventions.

There are many members who feel that it is no longer necessary for this organization to spend $80,000.00 every two years on a general convention. To judge from the results of the recent ones they are correct.

The only objection to an extension of one year more between convention periods is that disputed claims would have to wait for a longer time to be acted upon by the general body which sits as a final board of appeal on rejected claims.

We believe it will be possible for the creation of a board to act on such claims between conventions. Such a board could be arranged to sit annually at any point selected and could be the court of final resort before bringing legal action against the Brotherhood.

We have a committee that meets before conventions, but it is not empowered with final decision. It goes over all rejected claims and reports to the convention, which has final decision. The fact that almost 800 men sit in judgment on claims about which they have not heard, and in the majority of instances are unable to fairly judge, ought to appeal to our membership as unbusiness-like.

A certain number of our members stand for the five year period between conventions. This is out of the question, because the fraternal insurance law demands that we meet once every four years.

So, whatever discussion is to be brought forth must bear this fact in mind.

Service Prior to Admission. The term of aprenticeship is one year and a man must work for that period before he can get into the Brotherhood. The writer believes this is a mistake on the part of our organization. The only defense ever offered for it was none too good and consisted in the assertion that a traveling card was the guarantee of a good workman. We all know how much there is in that argument.

The man is good enough for his employer the day he goes to work and he,

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