He was succeeded by William G. Lee, who had served in many
subordinate offices in local lodges before he had been chosen
First Vice-Grand Master in 1895. For fifteen years he was a
faithful understudy to Morrissey whose policy he has continued in
a characteristically fearless and thoroughgoing manner. When he
assumed the presidency of the order, he obtained a ten-hour day
in the Eastern territory for all train and yard men, together
with a slight increase in pay for all classes fixed on the
ten-hour basis. The ten-hour day was now adopted in Western
territory where it had not already been put into effect. The
Southern territory, however, held out until 1912, when a general
advance on all Southern railroads, with one exception, brought
the freight and passenger men to a somewhat higher level of wages
than existed in other parts of the country. In the following year
the East and the West raised their wages so that finally a fairly
level rate prevailed throughout the United States. In the
movement for the eight-hour day which culminated in the passage
of the Adamson Law by Congress, Lee and his order took a
prominent part. In 1919 the Trainmen had $253,000,000 insurance
in force, and up to that year had paid out $42,500,000 in claims.
Of this latter amount $3,604,000 was paid out in 1918, one-half
of which was attributed to the influenza epidemic.
Much of the success and power of the railroad Brotherhoods is due
to the character of their members as well as to able leadership.
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