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Adjustment hearings; to say nothing of the routine handling of ALPA affairs that have increased in amount and tempo so that we have not been ale to hold our own financially. To all this has been added the tremendous burden of battling successfully the National strike, which we didn't cause in any sense, but which was forced upon the Association by the most unscrupulous employer in the industry and out own brother members turning scabs, backed by the unlimited finances of the Air Transport Association. 

"When it's all said and done, approximately 40% of every dues dollars that comes into Headquarters flows back into the field to our own members who are representing their brother air line pilots and, in other ways, working for ALPA. 

"Much more could be said on the subject, but I am not going to burden you with a long letter. The financial status of your council is outlined clearly in the attached financial report. Some delinquents may have paid during the time this report was being typed and mailed. This overlapping cannot be prevented. The thing to do is to bring this financial report before your next council meeting and, in the interim, bring your dues collection committee before you, read this letter to them, and go over the attached council financial reports. Tell them that ALPA is always in a dozen battles, none of which we can afford to lose, and every member of ALPA who has any business sense at all - and we all have some - knows that if ALPA falters even partially, the waiting jackals and ever-circling vultures will pounce on us and destroy every vestige of everything we have gained by years of battling, without which air line flying would be something none of us would want any part of. We can't afford to have that happen, and to insure against such destruction of our professional standards costs money which must come from the dues and assessments. The rest is up to you." 

In this mailing there are 17 envelopes. Since the last council mailing, many important letters have gone to the chairmen, at least the highlights of which should be called to the attention of the members of your council in your regular council meeting. Due to the reproduction problem involved in disseminating information to the members, plus the terrific amount of work involved, postage costs, and all the rest of it, many items of information can only be sent to the Local Chairmen. This places a grave responsibility on each chairman to disseminate the information he receives from Headquarters to his council members. 

There are times when gripes are justified from the members because they haven't been brought up to date on current ALPA happenings. The times are rare indeed when the council chairmen are not fully informed by Headquarters of all the high-light activities of ALPA. It is  Abigails chore for a chairman to hold meetings and keep his council informed of what is going on. If a chairman attempts to preside and disseminate all the information he receives from Headquarters to his council, it is practically an impossible task. If he organizes properly his coun-