The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-01-04
INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC

The outstanding feature of the year
in the Industrial world was the threat
ened strike of the 100000 members OF
the four great railway brotherhoods'
which was prevented only by the pas
sage by congress of the Adamson Dill.
The demands Of the four brother
hoods, representing the engineers, fire
men. conductors and trainmen, were
made upon the railroads early in the
year and after fruitless conferences
between the representatives OF the
brOtherhOods and the committee OF
general managers representing prnc-
tically every railroad in the United
States, strike vote was taken among
the members of the br therhOOds. On
July 26 it was announced that the
vote had been overwhelmingly in favor
of a strike unless the demands of the
men were granted by the railroads.
The federal board of mediation i'm
metiately offered it's services in an eff
fort to prevent strike bnt on August
- the board announced that it had
been unable to bring about an agree
ment and on the following day Presi-
dent Wilson summoned the general
managers committee and the brother
hoods representatives to the WHITE
House for q conference. This confer
ence produced no result. the railroad
managers offering to submit the whole
controversy to arbitration but the
brotherhood representatives refusing
TO agree to arbitration Of their eight
hour day demands. August 30 Presl-
dent Wilson. with a promise from TN"
brotherhood leaders that they could
rcscind their strike order, already is
sued. if a law were passed providing
for the placing Of their wage scales
on an eight-hour basis, went before
congress and asked the passage OF
three bills which he deemed ncccS-
sary to meet the situation. One or
these bills provided that "eight hours
shall be deemed the measure or stand
ard of a days work. for the PURPOSE or
reckoning the compensation for ScrV-
ices of all employees operating trains
in Interstate traffic.
Other bills proposed by the president
provided for the compulsory SubnlS-
sion of rail labor disputes to board
of mediation to be appointed by the
president before a strike could be de-
claled and for government operation OF
the RAILWAYS in case Of military neces-
Sity.
The bill embodying the provision for
Cos l.nnWn
us the AdamsOn bill, was rushed
through the house September | ana
was pusseh by the senate September :.
The order for Il strike which was I"
have gone into effect September was
then rescinded The session of con-
gress ended shortly afterwards and
consideration of the other measures
proposed by the president was post
ponnd until the next session.
Strikes were in progress in mum
Der of industries during the early part
of the wear and some were marked by
scenes of violence. April -. striking
employees of the Westinghouse com
uany. led by Il masked woman. rioteh
il, East Pittsburgh. Fatal strike riots
occurred at the Carnegie Steel works
in Braddock. Pa. May .. big strike
vas started by tn" Chicago garment
workers May .. Express drivers in
Chicago struck May 1G and consider
able violence marked the strike. OK
press wagons being operated under po-
lice protection. July l3 state troops
wore sent to La Sale. H.. 10 G#cIl
RIOTS OF cement works strikers.
\ strike of street railway men
stopped ali surface cars in the Dor
our;,- of Manhattan. Bronx and Rich
ulond. New York. August >. but the
strike ended two days later tempo
rari!y. September 6, strike of all
'aen on the subway, elevated and sur
fac,- lines in New York was called.
Seriour riots marked the street car
strike II New York, particularly ON
October s