Brother Alex

Last time Alexander Fell Whitney was heard of, John Lewis nominated him to head up U. S. Labor when & if C. I. O. and A. F. of L. reunite. Last week in Cleveland able, white-topped Mr. Whitney showed how he runs his own Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

All sessions of rich, potent B. R. T.'s quadrennial convention were closed to outsiders including the press. President Whitney forbade the 975 delegates to talk out of meeting, could & would oust any who disobeyed. The few who might have been inclined to do so remembered what happened to two uppity brothers in 1935: Brother Whitney, who is one of Cleveland's leading citizens, had police lock up the pair for the duration of the convention.

What happened last week was unique in recent Brotherhood history. To the astonishment and official indignation of the convention Cleveland newspapers published news which Alexander Whitney did not consider fit to print. They got it from Secretary-Treasurer George W. Anderson. He published a pamphlet charging that in the eleven years since President Whitney took office, B.R.T. had paid in salaries $995,542.74 more than in the ten preceding years. President Whitney's friend, T. B. Eilers, who is in charge of union insurance sales to members, was shown to have collected $429,288 "'in commissions" and expenses in the last four years.

Treasurer Anderson announced that he could not be responsible for B.R.T.'s funds unless he was allowed to watchdog. To this part of disgruntled Mr. Anderson's indictment, B.R.T.'s Whitney had a telling answer: union assets since 1935 have increased from $10,000,000 to $20,000,000, membership by 17,695 to 133,969. Brother Whitney had his delegates oust Brother Anderson, vote to meet hereafter in cities "whose newspapers appreciate our visit sufficiently to deal fairly and respectfully with us."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.