The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-03

''The number of men directly con-
tTolled by the machiniStS' union is not
large and the labor market is in such
condition Just now as to make II per-
feetly practicable. to obtain plenty OF
skilled labor in any department"
O'ConneII's Statement.
Washington, May 3.-Approximate-
ly 5000 men out on the Santa Fe sys-
TEN, is the strike situation today, as
claimed by President O'COnnell of the
International Association of Machin
lists This statement is based on re-
ports received this morning OF the
5000 about 1900 are machinists and
the others are bOilermakers, black
smiths. tinsmiths, copperworkers,
helpers and semi-skilled labor of the
Allied Metal mechanics. The reports
say that twenty-one shops and round
houses are affected, all shops west of
La Junta, Colo, to the Pacific coast
being completely tied up. The situa-
| ton east of La Junta to the Chicago
| terminal is not so serious, it is said,
but all machinists in that section are
reported to be out and the allied in
terests in some of the shops as well.
kilograms from John Mcneil or
Kansas City, president of the Boiler
makers and Iron Shipbuilders, and
John SIocum say that they are in en-
tire accord with the machinists and
have given instructions for cO-opera-
ton.
When asked regarding the report
/ that the local machinists had weak
|
| Santa Fe shops were opened for work
| this morning, J. D. Buckalew, third
vice president of the International
| Association of Machinists, said that it
was not true. For reasons which he
| thought best to keep to himself, Mr.
! BuckaleW was out pretty late Monday
night and consequently did not begin
work as early as usual this morning
When seen in his room at the Victoria
hotel at $50 a. m. he had not yet
been to the shops or seen any of the
men, and could not say anything as
to the number of machinists that had
returned to work.
you can say, however" said Mr..
| Buckalew, that this strike has not
! been declared off. In fact it has not
vet begun. The real strike will not
begin for two months yet. There is
a good deal of work to do in the way
of organizing the different lodges over
! the system, and just as soon as this is
done we will be ready for rough
work.
1T may be, though" continued Mr.
| Buckalew, that some of our men
have returned to work. This would
be expected. There are some men at
| this point who think more of the COM
| pany than the company does of them.
! Our next work will be to convince
these men that they are wrong and
induce them to stand pat with US. I
not only think that this can be done
easily, but L believe that we can per-
suade the non-union men who are at
work in the shops to join u.s.
From Strike Headquarters.
The following statement of condi-
tions is given out from strike head
quarters in Washington, D. c.:
"Over 500 machinists and a large
number of allied workers on the Atch-
ison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad were
reported out on strike up to 5 o'clock
Monday afternoon. When the whole
striking strength is brought out en-
bracing not only the machinists, but
allied metal mechanics, association
boilermakers, blacksmiths. copper
workers, helpers, etc, as we'll as the
total number involved according to
President O'COnnell of the Machinists
union, it may approximate between
10000 and $4,000 men. The strike
was ordered on instructions from
headquarters here after the men along
the line had voted unanimously in IA
vor of the step. A telegram today
from John Mulholland of Toledo, ma
tional president of the Allied Metal
mechanics, announced that he had or
dered his men to cooperate with the
mechanics, which means a sympa-
thetic strike from that quarter en-
bracing probably 1000 men engaged
in semi-skilled labor in the Santa F'e
shops.
MIR. O'Connen says that the machs1-
lists are out all along the Santa Fe, sOl