The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-08
Thousands OF Railway Employees Ars
Ready to Walk Out In Backing
up the Demands
Made.
A s5o,ooo,ooo INCREASE
Roads Claim to be Paying TopNotch
Prices Now and See Cause for
Alarm In Present
Situation.

CHICAGO, Aug. 8.--western rail-
roads are threatened with $50,000,-
900 strike.
Thousands Of employees are ready
to walk out In backing up demand
for higher wages and better working
conditions.
Officials Of the roads involved were
striving yesterday to form plans that
would carry them past the crisis in
safety. The situation is SO serious
that financial interests in New York
and Chicago are watching develop
ments with the greatest anxiety.
Several smaller strikes already have
occurred in various cities. The gen.
eral walkout is certain, 1t is claimed,
unless the concessions demanded are
obtained.
Employees Of the railroad shops will
be affected by the strike. Included
in the unions that have made de-
mands are those of the blacksmiths,
car workers, iron molders, machinists,
and pattermakers.
The demands were submitted to the
5TdilTOduS BSVSTdl Weeks ago,
| Officials Of the unions have met
/ fiat refusals of all the demands from
the lines they have negotiated with.
Last night it was announced the rail-
roads are determined not to recede
from their position.
The Hartman roads chiefly, are In,
volved, at the present time, and the
oso1, 10
! 1t is assured, will be adopted by other
er roads.
4 According to Julius Kruttschnitt,
vice president of the Union Pacific
and Southern Pacific, zoe demands OF
the various workers would amount to
an added expense of S7,o00,00o every
year to the lines composing the Har-
! riman system alone.
The demands include the enforce
ment Of the eight-hour day, employ
ment of union foremen exclusively,
various changes in working conditions
and more pay.
Negotiations have proceeded with
ont any blare OF trumpets up to the
present time the strikes called so far
nothing being advertised, generally, as
forerunners of others, Information
regarding the tense feeling on both
: sides, however, reached financial in
: terests in Chicago and New York a
few days ago and it was announced
? in the latter city yesterday that the
present halting situation in business
z circles can be attributed in no small
: degree to fear of gigantic struggle
y between the railroads and their shop
: employees
q "The railroads are paying top-notch
u wages now and the demands that have
been made are unreasonable,'' said
Mr.. Kruttschnitt ~ am merely max
ing a guess when say that the pro-
: gram the unions have mapped out
d would mean an additional burden OF
e s50,000,0O0 year when applied to al
# the western roads, but 1t is certain
it that the additional expense would be
4 very large
e DO you expect to hold conferences
e with the leaders of the -inions9" he
g was asked.
d 'The union leaders have been in
e formed that employees o. -:e lines al
d ways will be granted q hearing whel
they have any grievances, real or 9th
erwise," he replied. "They we're ad
vised, however, that the representa-
: tives of our companies at the differen
m local points would treat with the work
" ers at each of these places.
W None OF the union officials hav
n had conferences at the general o.
O. fees of the Hartman lines, and d
IN not anticipate that any will TAX
place The workers at the differen
localities along our lines were tol
the proposed increases in pay an
"a changes in working conditions woul
nc not be granted"
n, "Do you expece Shere will be a gel
- eral strike?'
sh II can't tell. II is very difficult
nd forecast what the unions will do. .
ay to the present time, however, we hay
experienced little interruption In oil
work"