The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-28
STRIKE TALK NOT
 IMPORTANT HERE Local Railroad Men Indif-
 ferent to Situation A PECULIAR POSITION Threatened Trouble On the Hartman Lines Causes Interest, But It Is
 Barely Possible Local Shop
 men Will Go Out
A PECULIAR POSITION
By CLYDE w. ENNIS


 | The threatened strike of members of
 labor unions affiliated with the federa- ton of mechanical crafts on the Harri-
 man lines is beginning to assume more lnoticeably serious phase than at first sup posed to be within the range of probaoill- ties.
 By reason Of the fact that the Illinois Central railroad of the Hartman empire
 of rails maintains a set of most modern
 shops here, employing about 250 men, the threatened strike takes on a noticeable hue and interest in this city.
 | The strike situation as understood here | is that Robert Lovett, president of the Southern and Union Pacific railroads, has denied President J. w. Kline, of the
 Brotherhood of Railway Blacksmiths and Helpers, a conference on the situation The reason assigned by President Lovett was that his chief lieutenant, Julius Kruttschnitt, vice president of the com
 panies, had declined to accept the terms proposed by the federation Mir. krutt- schnitt in the meantime left for San
 Francisco. and President Kline was in the lurch for the time being.
 | The labor adviser is seemingly maintain ing a perfectly correct boise and seems | to be endeavoring to avert strike if possible. The refusal of recognition by
 Mir. Lovett left but one course open Tor Mir. Kline. That is to get a conference with MT. Kruttschnitt out west. Omaha or Kansas City has been suggested as the logical points.
 Locally the workmen who belong 10 unions recognized fully the Hartman lines are passively indifferent to the strike sit
 uaton as it is developing in Paducah and
 elsewhere on the systems. However, if
 strike is declared the union men may feel obliged to walk out or they may not.
 Concisely the local situation Is this, and 1t is rather odd, as viewed from the workmens standpoint. The shops
 rere are owned jointly by the Frisco and
 Illinois Central railroads. If the 250 men
 walk out here the Frisco system is ready to place their own organization in charge
 of the shops. displacng the 80 skilled
 workmen of the Illinois Central. Such
 move would mean that the Birmingham
 workmen belonging to the unions and | recognized as unions. would be out of | work with no possible chance for ren- statement because of the utmost ability l of the Frisco to handle the situation. For | this reason 1t IS doubtful if the local
 members of the union will strike without | first having exhausted every means to
 bring about a settlement. The dangerous
 situation here to their peaceful employ | ment makes it a double risk for the au- 1 thority of President Kline to be exercised | on the local worllmen.
 | The proposed strike, according to Presl- dent Kline, will take place tomorrow at
 noon unless Vice President Kruttschnitt | is understood that the federation of me- | chanieal crafts desire the full recogni- | ton of that federation. Inasmuch as
 the Hartman lines fully recognize all
 unions as units, the recognition, accord | ing to the railroad men. is without war rant and wholly unnecessary. l At Paducah local information is that lvote taken to strike was overwhelming for that step. Paducah is an important point on the Illinois Central whereat great many workmen are employed It is not believed here that in the event of a strike any delays will result | to transportation inasmuch as the train | men are in no way connected with the situation, and are evidencing little inter- est in the situation.