The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-21
Mechanical LahOrers in Sympz-
thy With Road Machinists.
OVER ALLCOULD LINES
Trouble May Extend Over En-
tire Western System.
Unions Say Trains Can Be Oper-
ated But One Week.

St Louis, Oct. 21.-Approximately
$500 men employed in the mechanical
trades on the Missouri Pacific and
IRON Mountain system walked out in
sympathy with the striking machin-
lists at 10 o'clock this morning. The
exact number of men who quit work
VIII not be known at roads headquar-
ters until late in the day. The order
to quit work was telegraphed last night
to the boilermakers, blacksmiths and
pipemen by the heads of their inter-
national unions after the machinists
had failed to settle their trouble with
General Manager Sullivan of the Mis-
souri, Pacific. Here less than 100 men
are employed in the mechanical de-
partments and they walked out The
principal shops of the road are located
at Sedalia, Mo, and Little Rock, Ark.
Shops are also maintained at Kan
sas city, Desoto, jefferson City and
Crane, Mo-: Wichita, Hoisington and
Coffeyville, kan; Texarkana, Para
gould, Van Buren and McGhee, Ark. ;
Lake Charles and Ferriday. La: Oma-
ha Neb.; Pueblo and Du PO, Ill.
Members of the unions also are
employed at the So division and term
inal points of the two lines.
The union men say that the road
will not be able to operate their loco
men who quit work today. They say
they are necessary to keep the en-
S1nes in running order. If the trouble
is not settled within reasonable
time the heads of the unions have de-
cided to cause a walk out on all the
Gould lines. These include the Den
yer and Rio Grande. International
and Great Northern, Rio Grande West
ren, Western Pacific and Cotton Belt
railroads. The machinists trouble
was caused by demand for a change
in the working conditions.
Kansas City, Oct. 21.-All the union
boilermakers, blacksmiths and pipe
men of the Missouri Pacific struck at
10 o'clock this morning in sympathy
with the machinists of the road who
have been out for several months.
Fifteen hundred are involved in the
strike called today.
The strike order was issued from St.
Louis by the president of the local
unions of the boilermakers, black
smiths and pipemen.
Local officials of the railroad said
up to noon today the strike had not
affected the train service of the road.
1t was stated at the office of the local
superintendent of machinery that the
road was already hiring men to take
the places of the strikers and that it
was not expected that train schedules
would be changed owing to the strike.
Sedalia, Oct. 21.-At 10 O'Clock this
morning the union blacksmiths. boiler
makers and pipemen, numbering one
hundred. employed in the local Mis-
souri, Pacific shops struck in sympa-
thy with the striking machinists. There
was no disorder here.
Cause of the Strike.
A dispute between the officers of the
Machinists' union and those of the Mis-
souri, Pacific and Iron Mountain rail-
roads. over an increase of one cent an
hour in wages, was the reason for the
oil IL, 49,,
along those roads. The struggle has
now grown into a fight to determine if
the systems shall adopt the open shop
plan
The machinsts struck May ?. They
demanded 40 cents an hour for an s.
hour day. They were then getting 26
cents. The road offered SO cents an
hour for an S-hour day. The boiler
makers, sheet metal workers. copper
smiths, pipemen and blacksmiths took