UNION PACIFIC EMPLOYES' MAGAZINE. VOL. II. APRIL, 1887. No. 3. RESULTS OF ORGANIZATION. short a period before when so much The observing, thinking person can see plainly that the agitation and co-operation for mutual assistance of the workers is beginning to show results; but these results have come so gradually, and many of them so small, that many of us overlook them in our anxiety to gain the greater ones that we are looking forward to. Three years ago the local assemblies of the K. of L. numbered less than 3,000; now they number over 10,000; three years ago, outside of a few of the skilled trades, organization was but little thought of; now there is no class but are assisted by some form of organization, three years ago there were but few labor papers supported, now there is hardly a town but what has one or more. The various questions that have been principally confined to our organizations are now discussed in every circle of the country, our leading periodicals now give space for discussion of these questions that but a few years ago they would have disdained to have recognized. The church, whose teachers not long ago talked of the great hereafter, now consider it to their advantage to pay attention to earthly matters. Prof. Ely, when, in his article on labor organizations, confesses to his former ignorance of the labor movement, but speaks the sentiments of hundreds of other equally prominent men, all of which shows the progress that is being made. There never was so has been accomplished in a general way. Still many think that labor organizations are really failures; they reach these conclusions only from their immediate surroundings or from the fact that some pet theory of theirs has not been gained, or more often perhaps from the failure to have had righted some personal grievance or trouble either real or imaginary, for one is just as bad as the other when a person really feels it, such persons do not consider that without the organization, their grievances would have been perhaps multiplied, and that many of these supposed grievances would never have been considered as such. If there had been no organization to take them to or to have the assistance of, many abuses would have been excepted as a matter of course; but this only demonstrates that often the real objects of organization are overlooked and the personal one only considered. There is another point that is not often considered. How much worse off would the wage workers be if it had not been that they were organized? Human affairs seldom remain stationary ; they either progress or retrogress, and organization for the former prevents the latter; hence organization must be credited with the amount of retrogression that it has prevented. The signs of the times are plain that organization on an intelligent basis is gaining ground, for if all thoroughly understood why organ ization is necessary they would then at once attack the cause and wipe it out, but on this no general agreement can be reached,all must look at, the matter purely from a scientific standpoint, and this requires education, and thus our progress depends on the spread of knowledge. Let none get discouraged; the time is not far distant when those, who are now our worst enemies, will be trying to tell you what good advocates of labor organizations they always were; it will he "Betsy and I killed the bear." THE APPRENTICE'S RELEASE. The Union Pacific Railway Company in establishing an apprentice system or regulations for the employment of apprentices in its shops, has the following release attached, and is now being called into force. It is bringing out many severe comments. APPRENTICE'S RELEASE. Whereas,.. a minor, aged..years, has made application to the Union Pacific Railway Company for employment as an apprentice, under the terms and conditions set forth in General Order, No. 39, issued by the General Superintendent of the Union Pacific Railway Company under date of November 27th 1886, [copy attached hereto,] and Whereas,. the father, (or legal guardian) and the mother of said minor, ha..given.. consent to said employment and agree.. to waive and release said Union Pacific Railway Company from any and all rights....might otherwise have to sue and recover damages on account of any injury the said minor may receive in the course of said employment by said Company, Now, Therefore,. the father, (or legal guardian) and. the mother, in....several and individual capacities, and acting as guardian for the said. and the said.. ...himself, in consideration of the employment of said minor as above, do hereby forever release and discharge the Union Pacific Railway Company and its auxiliary companies, from any and all claims and liability for damages resulting from injuries which may be received by said... while in the employ of the Union Pacific Railway Company or its auxiliary companies, whether received through accident or carelessness on his own part or on the part of any other employe or person, or embrace and include all claims for loss of otherwise, this release being intended to service and for disability, directly or indirectly, from any kind of injury or from death. And it is further understood and agreed the said minor, shall be entered to his that the time or wages that may be due credit, and the said Union Pacific Railway Company is authorized to pay over to him or his order any amount due him, and his receipt or order shall be binding upon all the parties hereto. It is further understood and agreed that this agreement shall be binding if the minor is transferred to other duties in any department of the railway service, whether upon the Union Pacific Railway proper, or any of its leased or operated lines. SIGNATURES. What the real objects of the above are, or what benefits the company expects to gain from this, would be a difficult matter to state. The number of men employed under the age of 21 is comparatively small, and the number that receive injuries, whereby the company would be liable for damages is such a small per cent., that it becomes insignificant, hence it cannot be considered as a desperate move for economy's sake. The release would become null as soon as a boy would reach his 21st year, hence its object would not be to establish a corps of workmen for the future to whom the company would not be liable. If it is to discourage boys from becoming skilled in any branch, it may prove more successful than the restrictions imposed at times by trades unions to limit the number of apprentices, but it is not reasonable to suppose that such would be the intentions; hence the only reason that appears probable is the pecuniary gain that is expected from a lessening of the number of claims. Now we have no means of learning how much the company have paid on this class of lease in the past twenty years; but claims that is covered by the reit cannot be very large. The com pany have a large and increasing body of men in their employ. Many of these men have sons coming into manhood; they are capable and anxious to prepare themselves for the struggle of life. These men rightfully expect that their sons shall have an opportunity near their homes, but are confronted with this document. While they do not ever expect to have a claim, and hope not at least, a conscientious parent or guardian will hesitate as to his right to sign a document so one sided as this. While the necessity of signing such a contract may not deter all from excepting its requirements, will not the fact that it exists cause many to feel or see the injustice of it who are not directly affected by it? Will not the distrust and dissatisfaction which will thus arise cause a greater loss tenfold financially than what will be gained by it. A railway corporation depends, more than most any other class of employers, for its success on the good will and disposition of those who make it possible for them to do business. pay, There is one point in the release that no objection is made to, and that is that regarding to whom the wages should be paid, for no honest person would wish to try and collect wages of a minor in their care who had once been paid, and that clause in the release is intended to make this impossible; but that is as far as a release should go. When a boy enters an apprenticeship he does so at a low rate of and as soon as he gains some experience he becomes valuable to his employer, and the fact that he is working at a low rate of pay has always been considered as a reimbursement to the employer for the risks thus assumed, otherwise there is no argument to show why he should not expect pay in proportion as he becomes skilled. Again, a contract is supposed to contain provisions which are equally binding on both parties; in this case a boy might wish and expect to become skilled as a blacksmith, but may have to spend his time of service as an apprentice as a brakeman, or any other branch of the service, or leave the service. Now, we believe that all of this shows a very short-sighted policy, that has only to be looked at in a fair spirit to be seen by any railway official. We hardly think that President Adams is responsible for this; the good work that he has done so far since he became president of the company for the welfare of the employes disproves this. But he should see that no act is done or order put in force that is not in accord with his policy. The Union Pacific Company can, if it so desires, by judicious management, bring up a class of young men as mechanics and workmen that they can be proud of, and that will be capable of filling any position, but they must have the good will of them at all times or keep the good will that they now have. NATURAL RIGHTS. Natural rights, natural liberty, and natural being, an inquiry into causes of social maladjustments, is the title of a forty page pamphlet that has lately been added to our instructive literature. The writer, F. Q. Stuart, has departed from the usual line followed by writers on economic subjects, and discusses his subject from a lawyer's standpoint. He takes as his motto, "He who cannot reason is a fool, he who will not reason is a coward, he who dares not reason is a slave." The author, through a course of reasoning, defines what natural rights are, and the conclusions reached are briefly shown by comparison of the prevailing doctrine and the true doctrine as follows: The prevailing doctrine-Every man has the civil right to do whatsoever is sanctioned by judicial precedent and not prohibited by |