Meeting of Friendly Visitors, the Salvation Army, the Sunbeam Club, (which you who read the Ladies Home Journal, know and to which we may lend a hand), the Bible Society, the Bureau of Charities, Boarding House, or "Co-operate", where girls may board on small wages, Humane Society, Inebriate Homes, Summer Country Homes, Flower Mission, Circle of Kings Daughters, Sunday School, and when all else fail-the Bureau of Charities is always able to suggest something helpful in the work for the uplifting of humanity. It sometimes takes the combined efforts of half a dozen different organizations to put a family upon its feet. I think it is Dr. Josiah Strong who says that the Ministers of our large churches do not have help enough. Where there is one minister, there should be two, where two, four, and so on. The laymen of the church do not support the work "financially" as they can and should. The demands are greater than a century ago! A long cherished desire of some of our Christians is that the millinery bill of our country which is millions and millions of dollars annually, might be reduced, and large sums poured into the Lord's treasury.

This is not impos

sible, for when a woman will, she will." It remains with the home church to start such a world-wide reform. Interesting stories could be told where individuals have done this, and one said of a fifty cent hat,-"Why, if you had bought it at a milliners it would have cost three or four dollars!" We are co-workers together with God, and, as with the members of the body, one cannot say to the other, "I have no need of thee. Unless we lift up our voices, unless we use our influence against wickedness in all places, it will be accounted to us a sin. As one thinks upon this subject, there comes to mind the story of Eli and his two sons, as recorded in 1. Samuel, 2:18. The Lord said in substance-Eli you knew your sons were making themselves vile, and you restrained them not, therefore I will destroy

them and you, and He did. The world is saying: "Why is God visiting his people with such awful calamities?" All history flings back the answer; "Because the people made themselves vile, and ye restrained them not." There should at once be organized effort all over our land to save the school children from immorality. The president of a powerful organization in Massachusetts said, "I should not dare to tell the awful conditions that prevail in the schools of one of the cities of this state."

At the great rally in Chicago's immense Auditorium on May 3, the chief public meeting of the semi-annual gathering of the bishops of the Methodist Church, Governor Hanly of Indiana, who presided, uttered these ringing words: "Every brothel and every saloon in the great centers of the country is a challenge to Methodism. Every man who tramples upon the trust confided in him by the people is a challenge. Every great city which is the victim of maladministration is a challenge. Methodism must not miss the opportunity." And the general press of the city gave the meeting and its radical utterances conspicuous space. Co-operative action on the part of voting Methodists would contribute greatly towards clearing up the Country's moral atmosphere.

With the best workers, there is no room for envy. Each realizes that he is unique; that he is filling the place no other can fill, because in all worlds there will never be another just like him. Both men and women have one of the greatest weapons in their hands against all kinds of evil, and that, let it be emphasized, is the mail box. It is said that one of our greatest senators (as is often the case) was undecided which way to vote upon a certain important measure, but a flood of letters came to him which quickly decided him. The cooperation of men without the aid of the Holy Spirit is fruitless. "Without me ye can do nothing", and "A city builded in righteousness that shall stand."

It is a comical sight to see an agent in a small country town, while on duty, on his way to meet a train all ladened down. He may be called a combination man, or a man of many burdens. He is his own superintendent, despatcher, freight, express, ticket and baggage agent. When a passenger train blows a signal for his station, he is seen moving in the direction of it almost hidden from view with packages of express, baggage, and sacks of Untied States mail; Carrying signals, red, white and green flags, or a red and white lantern. He has a great deal to contend with, and has enough to mar his good nature. Works all day to draw his pay and all night to hold his job. His superintendent does not fail to keep him well supplied with rules and regulations, and gives him strict orders in a brief, pointed letter, that he must study and obey

them. The auditor kicks about his reports and censures him for not writing a Spencerian hand. The general freight and passenger agents won't let him forget them. They write and give him to understand that he is not down on his job and should increase the freight and passenger receipts at his station daily. The poor fellow lies down and tries to sleep after his laborious day's work, but it is all broken up with unpleasant dreams, thinking of the sarcastic business letters received from his high officials, this poor unfortunate creature no doubt thinks that his burdens are more than he can bear, and life is hardly worth living. His night dreams and hallucinations haunt him night and day. He says that there is no rest for the weary and heavy ladened.

One objection to the methods of trades unions which is frequently made by employers, is against the short notice given when higher wages or shorter hours are desired. The workman's attention is called to the business proposition, that higher wages or shorter hours carry with them an increased cost in production, and that as all manufacturers are forced to enter into contracts which provide for the delivery of manufactured material, at a fixed price, to be delivered within a specified period of time, and frequently at a small margin of profit, that it is impossible to grant the request made without wiping out all profit, and they therefore are unable to concede the request.

In discussing the business features connected with this question, the employers generally express the opinion that the workmen have not given sufficient thought to the manufacturers' ob

ligations, and are asking for something which he is unable to grant without serious loss.

When his employes ask him how he is able to carry out his contracts with customers, with profit to himself while the market price of raw material is constantly fluctuating, he promptly replies that, as soon as he accepts an obligation with a customer, he immediately safeguards his interests by contracting for all the raw material required to complete the order, by so doing his profits cannot be wiped out by a future advance in the cost of material-and he adds:

"So should it be with the cost of labor; you are not giving me the consideration I am entitled to when you request an advance after I have contracted to sell the output of my plant at a price which I cannot change, as it is fixed by contract. In all fairness, why didn't you tell me that you wanted higher wages or

shorter hours before, so that I could have known of the increased labor cost before closing contracts. The trouble with you union men is that you care nothing at all for my interest and the money I've invested, and if you were half as fair as you profess to be, you would have come to me before I had made my contracts, or waited until they had expired."

This, in substance, is the argument which thousands of union committeemen have listened to, after having presented a request for better conditions. As a matter of fact, few manufacturers, if any, contract with one customer for the future delivery of the entire output of their plant, and their contracts, as a rule, overlap each other. There are periods in each year when, so far as contractural obligations are concerned, advances in wages or shorter hours can be granted without seriously interfering with the item of profits.

Organized labor has recognized the justice of the employers' position in this respect, and for some years it has been customary with trades unions to give at least 30 days' notice of any change in wages or hours which is desired.

In those industries where machinery is used extensively, and where the hours of labor regulate the machines' output, the employers have justly held that ample notice of any desired change in the hours of labor should be given, that proper provisions might be made which would prevent any reduction in the plant's output.

Many trades unions in recent years have made a practice of giving ample notice of changes desired, doing so with the full belief that it was but justice to the employer, and that this consideration of his business interests would tend to establish more friendly relations between them. There are many reasons approving of such a policy, for it is fair to the employer, it is business-like in its application, and it does not savor of the method so emphatically condemned by the employer, of waiting until he is rushed with orders and tied up with contracts, and then pressed with a demand that he must either grant or

suffer the loss of custom as well as of profit.

In former days the trades unions were much weaker and less effective than they are today, and had they failed to take advantage of every opportunity which for the time being gave them the advantage, their progress would have been slow and halting, if progress was made at all. As their ranks grew in numbers and discipline, and the employers began to meet with them in conference, they saw the justice of some posiions assumed by the employers, their discussions covered a wider range, and the crude and irritating methods of approaching the employer, which had prevailed was changed by the trades unions for those broad-gauge, open-handed, fairminded, business-like methods to which no fair-minded employer could object.

For a time it appeared that they had made no mistake in adopting the practice of giving ample notice to their employers of any change they desired, yet since the advent of large associations of employers, whose attitude towards organized labor has not been defined, or whose purpose is known to be openly hostile, an incident has occurred which must for a time at least exert a powerful influence on the trades union policy.

Two years ago the Typographical Union gave notice to the employers' association (The United Typothetae) that they desired to have the eight-hour day inaugurated on January 1, 1906. In so doing the Typographical Union gave the Typothetae eighteen months' notice of their request for an eight-hour day, and had their action in giving this ample notice met with success, it would have led other trades unions to look upon such a policy with favor.

Unfortunately for the printers, and for the practice of giving ample notice of requests for improved conditions by trade unions, the Typothetae evidently accepted this request with the proverb, "forewarned, forearmed" uppermost in their mind, and instead of taking up the proposition for open-minded consideration and meeting with the printers for the purpose of reaching some peaceful adjustment of the question, they at once

began preparations for a vigorous resistance. They determined to prevent the further introduction of the eighthour work day. Their officers and agents opened schools for the instruction of green hands, with the intention of using them as strike-breakers when the time arrived, and they began to accumulate large sums of money in their treasury to be used in overcoming whatever efforts the printers might make to establish a shorter work day.

Believing their strength to be sufficient they did not wait for January 1, 1906, to arrive, and many of them opened the struggle between the two associations last fall by demanding that their printers sign agreements for a ninehour day for 1906, and when this was declined they promptly discharged them. Since then a bitterly contested struggle has been carried on, so far with marked success to the Typographical Union, as 38,960 out of their membership of 46,255 have sceured and are working under eight-hour agreements.

The action of the Typothetae, however, has resulted in a reaction of sentiment against the policy of giving ample notice of changes in hours of labor or wages which the trades unions may desire, as it has taught them a lesson which will not be forgotten by the present generation. If giving ample notice of desired changes weakens the trade unions' opportunity to secure improved conditions, and the period of time given by the notice is accepted by the employer to perfect his plans to defeat the union, then the first law of nature the law of self-preservation-will lead the trades unions to keep their programs in abeyance until the opportune time presents itself, and then with but short notice, they will urge their requests when the employer is least able to refuse them, and when they must be granted, or serious loss be inflicted on the manufacturer.

The action of the Typothetae, like the present policy of the National Founders' Association, tends to prejudice the workmen against their employers and their employers' association, teaching

them that open-handed straightforward methods are not accepted by the employers, in the spirit with which they were conceived.

During the eighteen months preceding January 1, 1906, the establishment of an eight-hour day could have been provided for without any serious inconvenience or loss to the members of the Typothetae. Agreement might have been reached to gradually reduce the hours of labor from 9 to 81, 81, 81, until 8 hours had been reached without any jarring readjustment in the operation of printing establishments.

The action of the Typothetae has led many trades unionists to believe that good results do not follow open-handed dealing with their employers. While there are strong grounds for this sentiment, yet its existence is to be sincerely regretted, for peaceful relations between employer and employe will ever rely upon mutual confidence, and the belief that an open-handed policy will be met by the spirit emanating from due consideration for others and honesty of purpose.

We believe that due notice of changes desired by trade-unions should always be given; we cannot look with favor on that industrial condition which prevents the employers and employes arrayed in hostile camps, each waiting for a favorable opportunity to grasp the other's throat, and wring concessions from a helpless adversary.

Conditions secured under such circumstances are temporary in character, and are certain to result in reprisals.

A new and extremely simple device has been invented by two railroad men of Idaho, which is destined to do much in minimizing the appalling loss of life and property occurring on our many miles of railroads.

Twin tanks are to be carried on the roofs of all passenger cars and contain 150 gallons of water each, or 300 gallons each to the car. These tanks are to be 30 feet long, running half the length of the car, and tapered at the ends. They will be placed on the monitor top each side of the deck, and just below the transom windows.

The tanks are fitted with three openings on each side, from which water can be drawn, collapsible buckets are carried on the top of each car for this purpose.

A few cars at the present time have ancient fire extinguishers somewhere inside, usually the exact spot being unknown, and no one knows exactly what to do with them if they should happen to be in working order, which is not usually the case. Passengers generally have the idea that they will explode, and I have really known such to have occurred.

Furthermore, both passengers and crew get out of a wrecked train as rapidly as possible and seldom have the presence of mind to bring the fire extinguisher with them. Especially as it is screwed to the wall somewhere, and would be difficult to locate, (especially in the dark) and more so to dislodge.

With the tanks in this device all water or other desirable fluid is on the outside where any one can get at it.

Every passenger car in the United States could be thus adequately equipped for fire protection at a cost much less than some of our small cities of from thirty to forty thousand people spend for fire protection within their own

limits.

The cost of equipping every car in the United States appears trivial, when thinking of the appalling loss of life and property in the single wreck on the Baltimore & Ohio, a short time ago, and

this is only a sample of what is occurring somewhere every day.

The "Reliable Railway Fire Extinguisher," which is the name of the unique but extremely simple idea, is the result of several years of observation and thought, of two men in the passenger train service, Jerry Kinney, for many years a passenger conductor, and George W. Hunt, a brakeman, both in the employ of the Oregon Short Line R. R. at Pocatello, Idaho.

Many of the officials of the road are much taken with the idea and a strong effort is being made to have the tanks adopted by all Harriman lines, which will, no doubt, be done in a short time.

SPECIFICATIONS.

This fire extinguishing apparatus for cars, has for its object to provide an apparatus which will be inexpensive to install, simple to operate, and not likely to get out of order.

It is for use on mail and baggage cars, sleepers, buffet cars, coaches, chair cars and combination cars, as well as cabooses, powder and other cars.

This invention has been made also with the idea that in order to be efficient it must be so simple that passengers can operate it as well as employes.

Fig. 1, of the drawings represents a side view of a car with the tank applied, showing steam pipes leading to and from the Baker heater, or steam pipe connection 14. This is to prevent freezing in cold weather.

Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section through a car showing the interior taps (the interior taps as shown in this drawing will not be seen, but will be a female connection for a seven foot hose described further on).