The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-22

Chicago, May 22-Spreading Of the
teamsters' strike began promptly today.
Thirty-six teamsters employed by the
& Embree company, lumber
dealers, and seventy by the Edward
Hines Lumber company were the first
the refusal Of the Transfers joint
Gil to indorse the settlement provision
ally arranged with the employers by
President g. P. Shea of the teamsters'
union.
Decision to Extend Strike.
The decision to continue the strike
was reached Saturday night by the
transfers joint council. The council
met to hear the report Of the negotla-
tious that had been in progress with
the employers turnout the day. They
agreed to all the st%ipulations of the em-
p1oyers with the exception of that which
press companies should not be aiken
This was the rock upon which the
peace program was wrecked. After sew
eral hours of debate it was decided
that the Transfers union could not
leave the express drivers to lead a lone
fight, but must stand by them. It was
for a further struggle.
Effect on Building Industry.
Thru the threatened spread Of the
strike to all lumber dealers, every
branch Of the building industry in Chi
cago was today apparently facing
paralysis. Only 800 teamsters are en-
ployed by lumber firms, but SO close are
the relations between them and several
building material that the walkout Of
the lumber teamsters, it was said, would
doubtless lead to strikes in nearly every
department of the building industry.
Indirectly dependent upon the build
ing material teamsters, it was esti-
mated today, hung the employment OF
nearly 100000 men in yards, mills, fac
tories and on construction work.
It was not thought the drivers strike
would affect the wood industries or
building construction work generally at
first. IF, however, the walkout should
90 all along the line, as threatened to-
day to do, all the lumberyards Of Chi
cago would be tied up.
The planning mills, the sash and door
factories, the box factories and kindred
plants would also face soon a shortage
Of lumber supplies which would neces-
state closing down..
Teamsters QUIT Work.
Action by the teamsters today was
decisive. In a few moments the first
forty recruits to the strike had been in
creased to one hundred. Seventy were
employed by the Edward F. Hines Lum-
Der company, at the head of which 10
the former president of the Lumber
Dealers association, prominent among
employers in negotiations for q settle
ment.
The R~ittenhouse & Embree Lumber
company was mex to feel the spread Of
the strike, when thirty teamsters quit.
The cause was an order to deliver mate
rial to firms boycotted by the teamsters
in the course Of the long hostillties grow
ing out Of the strike Of a small number
of garmentworkers months ago.
Employers Acted First.
In the first strikes today the initiative
was taken by the employers. Members
of the Transfers union were discharged
firms. Orders by the union for others
to quit where discharges had been made
followed quickly. AS an Immediate re-
suit, the yards of two big companies
were completely tied up.
Edward Hines of the lumbermen g as
ISOLATION declared that every lumber
ward in the city would, before long,
be without drivers.
cit means complete stagnation Of
business at a time when building opera
tions in Chicago are booming to q
greater extent than has been known
since 1897 said Mr.. Hines. "The
supply of lumber on hand will not last
the building contractors more than for
ty-eight hours. The factories which de-
pend upon boxes for shipping will be
crippled, because they will be without
lumber.
UIf this occurs he said, nthe stock
yards packing industries will be espe.
boxes there to do the shipping
An incendiary fire at the yards of the
Rittenhaus & Embree Lumber company
is suspected by that firm to nave q
connection with the strike. Fire was
discovered last night in three places
in the yards, and before the flames were
extinguished $4,000 worth of maple
flooring had been destroyed. Arrests
are expected.
AS the day advanced, the strike grad
ually spread. Twenty-Five teamsters en-
ployed by the T.. Wilce Lumber com
pany struck. The men had been ordered
to make the deliveries which the team
Continued on Cd PAGE. 7th Column.