The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-03-15
TRAINMEN WILL
QUIT SATURDAY
statement Is Issued by Four
BrOtheThOOds.
RAILROADS WILL NOT YIELD
Employee Issue Statement Denying
Their Action Is Timed to Take Ad-
vantage of Government in Crisis.
Strike VIII Start In chicago-Five
Days Grace for Milk Trains.

Strike VIII Start In chIcago-Five
Days Grace for Milk Trains.
Chicago, Mar. 14-The general con-
ference committee of railroad mana
gers in New York will refuse definite
ly to grant the eight-hour day with ten
hours pay, is the prediction Of railway
officials in Chicago. They predict that
President Wilson then will intervene,
as the strike situation has been in his
hands since last August.
All local and general chairmen of
the employees of the railroads that
have been selected to strike, have re-
ceived circulars signed by the chief
executives of the brotherhoods, in
which the plan of the campaign is out
lined After a detailed statement Of
the action Of the meeting in Cleve-
land, Saturday, 1t states:
Rail Employees Issue Statement.
while we are prepared for the
worst, the die has been cast. There is
no turning back. But we hope and be-
lieve a strike can be won without the
passenger men leaving the service.
"If 1t becomes necessary to leave
the service on any property, we will
not hesitate to call upon as many lines
as necessary to make this movement
success, and while it Is necessary for
some sytem or group of lines to make
the issue first, our confidence in our
membership on all the lines is the
same should it be necessary to call on
them"
The chief executives also explain
why the passenger, milk and mail
trains will be permitted to run for FIVE
days. They state that the object Is to
inconvenience people as little as pos
sible, but that 1t also was true that in
strikes that lasted any time, passen.
ger trains are run to a greater or less
er degree.
III the general conference committee
rejects the ultimatum to be presented
by the brotherhood leaders and Presi.
dent Wilson fails to intervene, the
first strike will begin at S p. m, east
ern time, Saturday night
Headquarters at Chicago.
Seven officials of the brotherhoods
who will have charge of the strike in
the central west will make their head
quarters in Chicago. They are: Frank
A. Burgess and Ash Kennedy, Of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers:
James Murdoch and Robert MCINTYRE.
OF the Brotherhood of Railroad T1~in-
men; Timothy Shea and S. A. Boone,
of the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Firemen. and w. G. Turner, of the
Order OF Railroad Conductors.
These seven officials will attend a
meeting I'm Chicago Friday OF the gen
eral and local chairmen of the rail-
roads that will be involved in the
strike. After the meeting those who
live In the west will depart immedi,
etely for their homes, to reach there
before the strike is called.
Employees OF various belt lines and
switch yards in Chicago also will take
part In the meeting, which is to give
instructions to be followed during the
strike
5rotherhoods Declare Selves Loyal
Washington, Mar 14.-Declaring
that the problem of an eight-hour day
on the railroads of the country should
be solved "and industrial peace restor.
ed before our country becomes in
volved In war" the president OF the
four great railroad brotherhoods here
in public statement announced that
the employees OF the railroads in the
southeast had endorsed their latest
eight-hour day demand The brother
hood chiefs said they would "once
more seek a peaceful settlement" at .
conference with the railroad man
ayers in New York on Thursday. They
declared that the railroads had sought
TO postpone final settlement of the EN-.
ployes demands until either war
or panic" should halt the negctia.
ton
The announcement of the brother.
hood chiefs carried the assurance
that in the event Of declaration OF
war the railroad employees would "sup.
port the country" 1t pointed out that
for more than year the railroad men
had sought to settle the eight-hour day
question. The statement was issued bv
w. q. Lee, president OF the trainmen.
and was signed by himself. L. E. Shep,
pard, acting PRECEDENT of the conduc.
tors, w, s. Stone, president of the On.
gineers and w s. Carter, president
of the fremen. 1t was issued after the
local chairmen OF the brotherhoods on
the southeastern roads had endorsed
the form OF the proposal to be sub.
mitted by the brotherhood chiefs at
Thursdays conference in New York,
Wilson VIII Act 70 Prevent TIe-Up.
Washington, Mar. 14,-Prestdent
Wilson will act promptly aud decisive.
iy to prevent any general tie.up of the
commerce of the country through q
great railroad strike while the nation
is confronted with the dire posstbilI,