Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-13
STRIKE TALK GENERAL.
AMONG UNION OFFICIALS

BY Associated Press
AaH iHGToN. March I2.-Talk OF
q raiiroad strike was general among
iocai labor union officials from the
southeast gathered here tonight, but
hat'ohai officers If the four big broth
efhoods declined to confirm or deny
that definite strike plans actually were
under consideration
me local leaders came for a confer
ence Tomorrow preliminary 10 tho
meeting oil brotherhood and railway
othcials to be held in New York on
thursday Sectional conferences viii
DC held IN other cities. and the broth
erhood hcads insist that they cannot
forecast their course until the locals
from aii parts OF the country have re-
por'cu the result Of their deliberations
There were distinct indications. how
ever, that there might be more truth
IN strike reports than appeared on Tho
surface An impression prevalent
among some of the local officials was
that general walkout probably wouId
Follow quickly if the roads refused 10
accede to the union demand: at Thurs
days conference. Saturday was tho
DAY most persistently mentioned as
iikely TO see n climax of the long CON
troVersy between the roads and their
men.
10 all questions the brotherhood
heads replied that there was no,bin,,
to be said AS yet: that sentimcn,
among the men tho country over wnuId
nave TO be sounded out before a oor-
eral strike could be ordered. ana ,b.t
many locals still were to he hoard
from. Neither from them nor from
any other authoritative source ,ouId
be gained any confirmation of Tho
stories that definite strike plans had
been made.
MACHINERY FOR STRIKE
ALI. READY TOn USE
u was pointed out. however. that
very little time would be rcouirod !,
put strike order into operation If
decision were reached TO take that
course. All of the machinery used TO
prepare for the big strike narrowly
averted last fall could be nut ipto
service quickly now if the need came
Ihe present controversy. like that
OF which /, is the outgrowth. reyolves
around the cisht-hour day, and more
than ono OF the local leaders here To-
night declared the brothcrhoods had
waited too long already while the Su
premc Court deliberated on the con-
stitutionaliiy of the shorter basic day
Ihey argued that il the roads decline
ut thursdays conference To mn, an
eiSht-hour day into effect forthwith.
the unions would have fun iustitica
tion for a strike
The union men were Unanimous in
declaring that in case of a strike care
would be exercised to embarrnss tho
government as little as possible I'm Tho
international crisis. The government
is watching developments closely. how
ever. and probably would itself take n
hand should Il deadlock seem assured
~ Strlke appears To he actually
threa tened. President Wilson Is cx-
pected to make some move for u set
tlcment.
About 200 brotherhood men from thc
roads east Of the mississippi aud south
OF tho ohio arc expected 10 attend the
meeting here tomorrow. Mcu from
southwestern ro IDS will meet in st
Louis to-morrow; those from Eastern
roads in New York on Wednesday, ami
those from Western lines In 81. Paul
on Wednesday. The Central States
representatives conferred at Cleveland
on Saturday.
Mr. Ice. head uf the trainmcn's
brotherhood. said Tonight that the
men had made no important changes in
their demands presented to the rail
roads last fall. The three other BROTH
erhood heads here to attend tho con-
ference were Warren s. Stone. of tho
engineers: W. $. Carter, nf tho fircmcn.
and Il. u. Sheppard, OF the conductors
NOT EVEN INJUNCTIoNS
Will. PREVENT STRIKE
CHICAGO. March l2.--writtcn secret
orders for strikes on ihirty-cighi Of
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