The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-17
Within Five Days to Extend to
100000 Railroad Men.
$50 Railways Tied Up if Ex-
IRENE Is Accomplished.
BOTH SIDES CLAIM LOYALTY
800 Chairmen Return Home to
Lead Workers i'm Strike.
Railroads Haven't Marshaled
Strikebreakers for Emergency.

Chicago, March 17.-Unless the eX-
pected intervenes the greatest railroad
strike in the history of the world will
send st. Patrick's day 1917 down in
history with a significance hitherto un-
attacEe to the occasion
At o'clock tonight the first steps
destined, unless checked to paralyze
the commerce of the country is to
be taken By the 100000 1rembers of
the brotherhood of train service en-
ployes on $50 railroads, to attain, as
the unions claim, the S-hour day in
! train service.
According to the railroad managers,
it is a flat stand-and-deliver order for
more pay, amounting in the aggregate
to untold millions burden which
they claim is too great to be borne out
of present revenues The situation
confronting the country is so big and
so unusual that no one has been able
confidently to predict just what it
will do, nor just how the strike order
will work out. The railroads do not
pretend to know how many men will
be working tomorrow nor what trains
they can run, the brotherhoods do not
know how many will obey the order.
Govt Intervention a Refuge.
count of the shock and settle to or
ganiZed combat unless intervention by
the president is successful today Both
sides are relying on the loyalty of the
men the brOtherhOodS to membership
obligations and the principle of
unionism. the railroads to the family
feeling of the older employees the self
interest engendered of the better pay
ing positions and a patriotism which
may halt some from walking out in
the face of grave international sit
uation.
The program of the brother
hoods is well understood among the
members. 1t was settled in detail at
a meeting here last January, it was
made public this week and the local
chairmen on such railroad di-
vision are in active command in the
field. After a final ratification meet
ing here yesterday these chairmen are
today on their way to all parts of the
country to take leadership in the field
fully informed to details. There
were 500 of them at the meeting yes
terday. AS they left. all seemed to
realize that the warfare upon which
they had just voted to embark was of
a most momentous nature, fated to
make itself felt in every city and ham
let.
So far as could be learned the rail-
roads have made no preparations 9TH
er than to notify shippers that freight
cannot be accepted after tonight.
They have not hired strikebreakers
their managers say, but will wait I'M
til the problem is fully apparent be-
fore taking measures to meet it, Both
sides have modified forces for cam
paigns to keep their views and news
fully before the public.
1900 Extra Policemen.
Heads of the police department were
prepared to swear in 1900 extra men
today, to be used in case of serious
trouble. Governor Lowden was in
conference with state officials last
night laying plans for the use of the
national guard if needed.
Federal authorities were laying
plans for the prosecution of any food
spectators who might take advantage
of the rail crisis by boosting the prices
of provisions Hinton G. C1abaugh,
head of the local department of JUS
tice, has asked all retail grocery deal
ers to report to him all arbitrary rails
ing of prices
Health officials say that there will
be at least fifty per cent of the nor
NAL milk supply brought into the city.
This they say can be accomplished by
the use of the electric lines and motor
trucks. The supply of foodstuffs and
coal in the city, it is said, is suffi
cient for from ten to fifteen days.
UItimatum by Unions.
The last word by the official spokes-
men of the Chicago unionists, was
voiced today by Timothy Shea, in
charge of strike arrangements in Chi
cago and the middle west.
Its up to the railroads." he said.
The workers are determined to get
the S-hour day and that will be ac-
complished as surely as night follows
day. If the railroads don't YIELD it is
nv opinion that there won't be many
trains moving in the United States af-
ter tomorrow"