Evening star., 1917-03-16
PREPARE TO MEET
STRIKE SITUATION
Railroads Serving Washington
Announcing Embargoes on
Freight Shipments.
EMPLOYEES OFFICIALS HERE

! Railroads serving Washington which
are affected by the strike order were
busy today preparing to meet the
situation Embargoes on freight ship
| nents were being announced to patrons
| Of these systems.
! The Southern railroad Issued from the
office Of G. W. Taylor. assistant to the
| vice president, a warning to shippers that
| the Southern system will not accept any
freight other than non- perishable. which
| cannot be delivered to its destination be-
! fore the hour set for the strike.
According to the present under
standing of the strike order only
| freight service will be affected for the
| first five days, but efforts will be made
| by the brotherhoods to tie up abso-
| lutely all freight shipments on the
| specified roads. Those are:
Strike to start tomorrow night at
| 6 o'clock on the New York Central, the
| New York, Chicago and st. Louis and
| the Baltimore and Ohio.
Strike to start Sunday night on the
Southern, the Norfolk and Western
the Virginian and the Chesapeake and
Ohio.
The Pennsylvania system Is not af-
fected at present. nor is the Richmond,
Potomac and Fredericksburg railroad
which are the other principal lines serving
Washington.
AS the passenger traffic is not affected
for five days by the strike order, there
will probably be no interference with
trains at Union station during the early
stages Of the strike. Although the local
union is composed principally Of the yard
men employed by the Washington Ter
mlnal Company. and these probably VIII
answer the strike call. the terminal ofi-
cialS say they are ready to meet the situa-
ton and handle whatever trains come to
them. This is understood to mean that
strikebreakers are available if needed.
According to the plans for the strike
the members of the big four brotherhoods
handling passenger trains viii not balk
on moving the passenger trains even II
made up for them BY strikebreakers in the
local yard.
Would Tie Up Freight Movements.
A distinctly different condition. how
ever. exists regarding freight. The pur-
pose is to tie up freight movements alb
solutely. If the yardmen go out and
strikebreakers are put to work to make
up the freight trains then strikebreakers
will have to move them, according to the
vice presidents of the big four brother
hoods. who are all in Washington keeping
in close touch with local conditions while
the four big chiefs are conducting the
strike councils. ~ '-~t.-
The four officials of the brotherhoods
in Washington are: H. E. Wills. as
sistant grand chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers: P. J. Nc
Namara, vice president of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and En-
ginemen; William NJ. Clark. vice presi-
dent of the Order of Railway Con-
II 4st[ t[avrt
of the Brotherhood of Railroad Train
men, They have been here principally
in connection with legislative matters.
but when the strike conditions reach
climax they will be here TO take charge.
These officials. while protesting thai
they can give no information regard
ing the strike. have stated their opin-
ion that nothing can avert 1t except
settlement of differences directly be-
tween the employees and the employers.
At the same time they say that If the
nation is drawn into war. all personal
interests Of she men will be laid aside
and they Will operate the trains for the
governDsnt or perform any other serv-
ice as they best can for the national
welfare.
All the officers of the local unions are
out on the various systems by which
thew are employed, but brotherhood Of
ficiaIs estimated that there are 1000
railroad men on the lines affected who
live in Washington or the immediate
vicinity and that at least S5 per cent
of these are in the brotherhoods and
will obey the strike order.
Backed by A. F. of L.
While the strike called by the rail-
road brotherhoods has the full moral
support of the American Federation
of Labor no plans have been made by
federation officials for extending the
waikout to include other union men.
The brotherhoods are not members
of the federation, but since their con-
troyersy with the roads became acute
a cooperative agreement has been
effected, and throughout the whole
negotiations President Gompers has
made it clear that the federation would
stand behind brotherhood ofhciais with
all it's resources.
At federation headquarters 1t was
said that the brotherhood members Will
be virtually the only men Immediately
affected by the strike. Nearly 100000
shop employees are represented by the
railroad department Of the federation,
and most of these, 1t is believed, viii
continue virtually their normal work
In addition. large number OF switch-
men, telegraphers and maintenance-of-
way workmen probably will be kept
at work to help handle whatever traf-
fic railroads try to maintain.
Officials OF the 1eoeration's railroad
department and representatives of the
southeastern railroads. who are in con-
ference here discussing annual modifi-
cations of wage scales and working
conditions for shopmen and other en-
ployes, expect to continue their meet
ings Union representatives said today
the negotiations are proceeding salts
factorily and that the notifications pro-
posed do not provide for extensive wage
increases.
- v~yrnr cro crnurnr