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International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Badin, N. C.
June 25/19.

Subject,
Tallassee Power Company.

To His Honor,
Governor, W. T. Bickett,
Raleigh, N.C.

Dear Sir:-

Enclosed find copy of notice of dismissal of all employees of the Tallassee Power Company who affiliated with the Electrical Workers Union, that was posted all over the Company's properties on June 22nd, and put into effect June 23rd, by the dismissal of all who joined or expressed themselves in favor of labor organizations.

Refering to the notice will say, that it useless for me to call your attention to the misrepresentations that it contains regarding the laws and principles of organized labor, and as for that part refering to the Organizers of this union, will say, that this union was organized, or rather a number of men made application for a charter of the International Brotherhood Electrical Workers, and had not the charter and supplies be addressed to Badin, S.C. instead of N.C. it would have arrived here at least a week before I came in to install the local union, and until the night of the meeting I did not meet more than five or six of the men employed by this company, so could not have used very much persausion, force or intimidation.

On the evening of the first meeting of the men to install the local, which was held outside of the company's property, Mr Thorpe, Mr Beers, and their attorney and several of the company police came out to the meeting and eavesdropped on the outside, and after the meeting was over I was subjected to considerable abuse by Mr Thorpe, whose intentions I think was to provoke a quarrell and then the company police would do the rest, but the men had been warned along this line and conducted themselves as I had requested them to do and the officials were foiled in carrying out their intentions of either starting trouble if this was their intent, or intimidating the men.

The employees who were dismissed from the service of the company have received written notice to vacate company houses, copy of which is herewith enclosed, notwithstanding the fact that the majority of these men has complied with the Governments request to raise a War Garden, which is just now commencing to produce. All rents are paid in advance to July first, and you will note this notice is to vacate by July 3rd.

The majority of these men own their own furniture, but some of them are indebted to some extent to local merchants for same, and as they did not quit the service of the company, and no demands whatever was made upon it by the local union or the men, this seems like and injustice that should receive some consideration at your hands.

In the first paragraph of this letter you will note that I say that all men who had affiliated had been dismissed, but I will modify that statement by saying, that some of the most important men whose services were needed to keep the plant operating were not dismissed, but in my consideration for the more than three thousand other employees, and the financial loss that would be caused the reduction plant for just a six hour shut down, I would not permit these men to leave their stations and they are still at work.

There has been no demands made on the company of any kind, nor has there been a single employee requested to lay down his tools. I have telegraphed Secretary of Labor Wilson, at Washington, requesting him to send a Commissioner of Concilliation here but owing to the strike of the telegraphers, my message and his reply is no doubt being delayed, and having been informed of your fairness in labor matters as well as other subjects, I am appealing to you in behalf of these men and their families, to use your efforts in bringing about a satisfactory adjustment of this matter, and to prevent if possible these men and their families being ejected from their homes, for the company owns all of the houses and these men and their families would be thrown into the street along with their belongings, as most of them have not the means to move to another City at this time.

There are a number of outrages that have been committed against the employees by the officials and their private police system that if brought to the attention of the public would make very interesting reading: and if it is your jurisdiction to make such an investigation, you will performed a public service that will go down in history as one of inestimable benifit to humanity.

Thanking you in advance for any assistance you can give in this matter, and trusting you can see your way clear to give it your immediate attention, I am, with best wishes,

Yours very truly

D. L. Goble
International Representative,
International Brotherhood Electrical Workers and American Federation of Labor.

P.O. Box 415.
Badin, N.C.
c/o John P. Ragan.

Enclosures: 1919, June 22. Tallassee Power Co. to employees.
Enclosures: 1919, June 23. Tallassee Power Co. to Ragan