The Detroit times., 1911-08-25
STRIKE
IS. THREATENED
shop Men in Employ of Hartman
Lines Insist on Recognition of
Federation by Employers.

CHICAGO. Aug. 25.-with julius
Rruttschnitt. yice-president and gen
eral manager OF maintenance and
operation OF the Southern Pacific and
high oficiaiin all the Hartman lines,
speeding west in a special car, labor
leaders gathering In Kansas City TO
decide upon their hnal stand. and
thousands OF union men bombarding
their officers with demands that they
be permitted TO strike. the industrial
situation in the far west today as
sumed a most critical phase
Labor leaders declare tney are hav-
ing dif1icuity IN holding their men In
check and add that they can'see moth
ing 10 the Kansas City meeting but a
strife order to all the shop craft EN-
kpl0yes- OF the entire system. The
main point at issue is the demand OF
the nnionists that the. railroads recog-
nize the system federation. In place OF
the separate union ORGANIZATIONS that
have contracts. with the road. The
railroads insist that negotiations In
the future must be carried on as In
the past under the Individual union
plan.
Railroad leaders here today de
clared the Hartman lines were able
to Withstand strike OF shop employees
at this time. while union leaders were
just as positive that they could tie
up the entire system In a few days.
The following Ii a list of the men
involved In the controversy: Car
men, $4,000; machinists, 1000; boiler
makers, 5000; blacksmiths. 2,00O:
sheet metal workers. 1000; total. 25,.
900.
vice.President Kruttschnitt's hur-
ried trip to the far west followed a
long conference with President Kline
of the Blacksmiths' international
union, who called on him In behalf OF
the federation and explained It's de-
mands, which Kruttschnitt declined
to grant. Kruttschnitt is said to nave
told Kline that demands for wage in.
creases must go to the various gen
eral managers from the individual
unions. instead Of from federation
OF the unions, as demaL
men themselves.
Kline also asserted that he had re-
ceiyed telegraphic advices from the
5000 employees of the Sunset route
OF the Hartman system, asking that a
strike on that line be sanctioned. The
Sunset route Is the Southern Pacific
line through Los ngeles, Yuma, Ariz.,
FL Paso, Texas to New Orleans, via
the FL Paso and Southwestern.
Another telegram from labor lead
ers OF The 1000 to 5000 employees of
the Central Railway Of Georgia, petit
toned Kline TO use his influence
with the officials OF that road to take
action that will prevent the declara-
ton OF strike when the employees
meet at Savannah next Monday. The
strike leaders Claim the Georgia Cen
trail has recently attempted to with
draw it's recognition. previously nj
lowed, OF the systems federation. and
the. employees threaten a strike.
Employees Want Conference.
CHICAGO, Aug. 25.--Following the
receipt OF kilograms from members of
the advisory board OF the Hartman
systems federation, declaring that the
advisory board could no longer pre-
vent the Hartman shop employees
from striking, President ]. w. Kline.
OF the International Brotherhood OF
Blacksmiths and Helpers, today sent
a telegram to President Lovett, OF
the Hartman system, asking that he
grant conference TO the employees OF
the Hartman lines with a view OF
aveTtiHg a general strike.
my object" said Kline, is to
avert, II possible, a national calamity.
II Mr.. Lovstt consents TO give the men
OF the systems declarations a hearing,
the committee will proceed at once TO
New York. II Mr. Lovett instructs
Mr.. Kruttschnitt to accord Us the
hearing he has refused, we will meet
him any place In the west that he
may desire"
Situation Looks Serious.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25.--Despite
the statements or high officials OF the
Hartman lines that a strike OF the
shopmen employed on those roads In
improbable, the situation today looks
very serious.
Union officers today predict gen.
eral walkout of shopmen during the
first week In September, when the
present agreements between the
unions and the Hartman system viii
expire.
A test vote taken In the Southern
Pacific shops 1t Los Angeles, Oakland,
Sacramento and Portland is said to
have shown that four-fifths of the
shopmen favor going out. The rail-
road officials, however, say this means
only that fourshfths- of the members OF
the so-called system federation, are
voted to strike- They add. that not
more than one-thtrd OF the, employees
Of these shops belong to the fedora
ton.
President Requin, of the shopmen,
does not believe there will be any
walkout until the present agreements
expire, although he freely admits that
the men are eager 70 strike and are
being held In Chez. with difficulty.
Requiem has been advised OF the pro
posal to hold a conference here with
Julius Kruttschnitt, next Sunday. but
says such a meeting Is extremely un-
likely as most OF the labor leaders
cannot arrive In time.
Road Expects Strike.
A statement today was issued from
the general Offices Of the Southern
Pacific. declaring that a number OF
men dismissed as a result OF the re-
cent retrenchment was small IL was
not denied, however, that stockade
would be built around the shops and
that bunk cars have been prepared.
These preparations are taken to mean
that the roads expect a strike.
: Others Plan Retrenchment.
nurA1UER rolo Au0 ok-Thaf fha