Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-11
MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT
OVER SEABOARD TO-DAY
Onicials Of Line Say Strike OF Clerks
VIII Cause But One Days
Delay.
WON'T SURRENDER TO DEMANDS
Vacancies Caused In Offices Being
Filled With Women Where Pos
sible-Labor Leaders Predict Tie.
UP Of Entire System.

| Officials Of the Seaboard Air Line
Railway Company. which Is threatened
with a tie-up of it's freight traffic
| through the strike of freight office and
yard clerks it's entire system. de-
| clarcd last night that number OF
clerks had already been employed in
| T;ichmond and other cities, and thai
the movement of freight, suspended
| practically all of yesterday. would be
resumed this morning. Representatives
of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks
said the movement in Richmond had
| first been started as sympathetic
strike, but now has resulted in an
earnest demand for a 20 per cent wage
| increase.
! II was authoritatively stated that no
surrender to the demands of the strik-
ing clerks would be made by the Sea-
board. and plans are beirg laid to Sc
| cure additional help. In Richmond
there were many telephone calls yes
terday afternoon offering assistance
and seeking positions, with the result
| that a humber OF men and women were
requested to report for work this MORN
| ing 1t is probable that women will
| largely icplaLe men in the freich at
ofticcs whore the duties are such ,hat
| th-v can III, the positions
l.. L. Ciou,der local freight agent cf
~" roac. said chat he was fl. ng ihe
vacated Offices when twenty-four
! clerks refused to continue at thcii
work. He said hat freight traffic ont
/ Il Richm", d would not he delayed, In
his opinion. for more than one day.
hu, added that some Of the clerks had
/ h.'u III -.rvice for as tong AS fifteen
| years AMI their positions would he hard
| TO Nil
CLERKS IN CoRDELE JOIN.
OTHERS IN wALKOUT
! Representatives OF the clerks sale
that Cordele. Ga, had been aided I'll
tne list of cities in which the clerks
had walked out. and that shay expected
| all the cities on the Seaboard would
follow until the line is entirely tied up.
| They are merely waiting TO give the
railroad a chance to negotiate and
meet the demands, they said
They opened headquarters in Muir
phys Hotel. and conferences between
officers of the local organization OF
clerks and Howard 7. Colvin. repre-
senting the American Federation of
Labor. were held throughout the day.
II Is expected that an agent from the
| United States Department of Labor w Ill
| arrive in Richmond this morning to in
vestiGate the strike. The clerks de-
clarcd that they would welcome such
al officer. believing they could get more
satisfaction from him than from the
railroad company
The strike Is declared to be for an
| increase in pay, for the installation OF
a fat rate for the clerks Of the entire
| system. and is a sympathetic movement
| with similar walkouts which have
taken place during the past week at
, Raleigh. Tampa and Jacksonville.
The clerks over the entire system
| have been organizing into the union.
which Is affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor. The strike was
declared to be spreading over the en-
tire system of the Seaboard, and the
| statement was made that the clerks in
Petersburg and Hamlet would walk out
to-day. Those at Columbia, Savannah.
Atlanta, Birmingham and other i'm
portant points are expected to follow
during the next two days.
STRIKE WILL INTERRUPT
SHIPMENT OF ARMY SUPPLIES
Tho strike will interrupt the ship
ment Of government supplies to the
camps at Petersburg and Columbia. 1t
was stated, and for this reason it is
expected that Federal Intervention will
| J
natl. grand president of the Brother
hood of Railway Clerks and a member
Of the subcommittee of the National
Council of Defense. Is expected to ar
rive in Richmond this morning from
Washington.
Local clerks walked out on a strike
about six weeks ago, and. rather than
have traffic suspended for several days.
officials of the Seaboard granted the
increase demanded by them. The
clerks intimated to Richmond officials
several days ago that unless the de-
mands of the clerks were met or a
satisfactory settlement made. that they
would declare sympathetic strike.
The clerks declare that every other
class of railroad employee except
themselves have met with considera-
tion. but that they have been neg
| lected.
In the shops the machinists and
other workmen. they declare, received
an increase of Sh cents an hour last
March. while the clerks have been
systematically left out of every in
crease granted railroad men.
DalIaa Votes anrv.0