The Washington herald., 1917-03-15
RAILROAD SHOP
CHAIRMEN VOTE
To CALL STRIKE
Emergency Measures for Cen
eral Walk-out Completed
in New York.
GRAVE MEETING TODAY
Trainmen and Road Chiefs to Confer
in Closing Effort to Adjust
Issue.
CBy the international News Sc

(By the International News Seryice.)
New York, March H-Emergency meas
ures for the calling OF a general railroad
strike were completed today in New
York. The shop chairman Of the four big
railroad brotherhoods for the member
ship working on railroads entering this
city. voted unanimously for the strike
which has been called for Saturday night.
Sixty-nine chairmen were present
1t was announced at the meeting that
the shop chairmen in st. Louis the last
of the groups to vote on the measures ex-
cept New York, had just concluded a
similar meeting, and voted for the strike
order
The strike question, according to Off
cials of the brotherhoods. was referred
to the shop chairmen because a question
had been raised as to whether the strike
vote of the 100000 members, taken last
December. was still legally in effect The
laws of the organization require a vote
of the entire membership for a general
strike, but not for a strike by districts
The action of the shop chairmen
throughout the country provide for a
strike OF freight engineers fremen, con-
durtors aud trainmen in each of the dis
tricts. sGccessively. until the effect of
general strike is achieved. The plan pro-
vides for the tieing up of the passenger
service OH all roads next Wednesday.
Chiefs Attend Meeting.
The -four brotherhood chiefs attended
today's meeting here. at which the final
strike vote was cast. At its conclusion
they returned to the Hotel Belmont to
discuss the course they will take at their
conference with the general managers OF
the railroads tomorrow.
The railroad chiefs. at the same time
were laying their own plans. Twelve
members OF the national conference COM
mittee of railways held a protracted
to the momentous meeting which will
take place tomorrow, remarked:
1T may last for hours. and 1t may not
last ten minutes"
The attitude OF all the railroad man
ayers was as ste:niy uncompromising as
that of the brotherhood chiefs
The meeting of the four brotherhood
chiefs with the railways conference com
mittee will begin at II o'clock tomorrow
morning at the Grand Central Terminal.
Nearly all of the officials admitted
that they would be helpless to cope sue
cessfully with general strike in its
first stages
Traffic will be demoralized." said one.
''It will be impossible to get enough
skilled men to take the places Of the
strikers"
Another official spoke OF the possibility
OF drawing from the officers and shops
all men that have experience or technical
knowledge of engine-driving and training
them to form an emergency force. Other
clerical and shop employees may be called
to take the places OF striking conductors,
brakcmCn and fremen.
The Pennsylvania and Baltimore and
Ohio companies alone, of all the rail-
roads, have obtained written pledges of
loyalty. in the event of strike. from
numerous employees. Other companies
have oontented themselves with question
ing the older men. and especially those
In line for pensions. in regard to their
intentions. Claims were made that many
have promised to stand by their en-
ployers.
1t was learned today that the first
strike vote. under the new plan, was
taken at a meeting of the general Of
fCers of the four brotherhoods in Chi
cago February 12. The resolution
adopted at that time declared that n
strike would be called "if the Su-
preme Court should find the AdamSOn
law to be in violation of the constitu-
ton" 1t was not until ten days ago
that the decision was reached to act
without awaiting the action of the
Supreme Court.