Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-14
RAIL employees
PLAN SERIES OF
FREIGHT STRIKES
Attempt Will Be Made to Tie
Up Traffic if Eight Hour
Day is Not Granted
by Roads.
WILL START SATURDAY
Men in East Will Be Followed
by Those in South, Middle
and Far West,
PASSENGERS WEDNESDAY

New York, March 15.-lniormation
received by the national conference
committee, composed Of managers OF
the great railway systems, and made,
public today indicates that the four
employees brotherhoods have conf
pleted arrangements for progressive
series of strikes to begin at & o'clock
eastern time) on Saturday night, if
the conference on the eight-hour ques-
ton held here Thursday fails to reach
satisfactory agreement.
The proposed strike program, ac-
cording to this information, is as fol-
lows:
Saturday, p. H., call out all train
men in freight service on the New
York Central, Baltimore & Ohio, Erie,
Atlantic Coast line, Southern rail-
way, Louisville 4 NashN lille and Sea-
board Air line. Such an order would
involve 10000 men. u. -,
Monday, March l9, 8 p. m., call out
the freight trainmen on the Lehigf
Valley. Lackawanna, Jersey Central,
Pennsylvania, Long Island, Maine
Central, Delaware K Hudson, Read
ing and all other roads in the south
eastern territory, or extending to New
York. 4 s
Tuesday, March 20, 6 p. M, call out
all the freight trainmen in the north
western group, including the Hill
roads and all those centering at Chi
cago. .,..
Wednesday, March 81, 6 p. m., If
the railroads still refuse to grant the
mems terms, extend the strike to all
other freight trainmen and call out
the passenger trainmen oa every road
in the country. .....
Note Sent President.
Washington, March l3.-The rail-
road brotherhoods on March wrote
to President Wilson, it became
known today, formally notifying him
of, the conference with the railroad
representatives scheduled for March
IS. In this letter the brotherhood
leaders declared they were "hopeful"
of making satisfactory adjustment
of questions pending with the rail-
roads.
! The brotherhood representatives
also informed President Wilson that
il while they were negotiating with
the railroads the nation became in
volved in war they would cooperate
to the fullest extent with the govern
ment t-.s.s. .u E....l
No Information on Strike.
Neither President Wilson nor Sec
retary Wilson Of the Department of
Labor had official information today
regarding the intention of the broth
erhoods to strike unless satisfac-
tory arrangement was reached at
Thursdays conference. An inyesti-
CATION was begun through govern
mental agencies, however.
1t was stated that there was little
Of definite character that the gov
ernment could do until the outcome
of the meeting iii New York Thurs
day is known.
At the direction of President Will
son Secretary Wilson of the Depart
ment of Labor will keep in close
touch with the conference in New
York Thursday, and should it fail the
government will then consider
further steps. ,n., t, E is
Government officials regarded it
as inconceivable that there should
be nationwide strike at this time
and while no plans have been mapped
out it was generally taken for granted
that the president will use his ut
most efforts to prevent such strike.
Text Of Note to Wilson.
The letter OF the brotherhood rep
resentatives to President Wilson fol-
lows:
1--WE feel obligated to officially ad-
wise you of our intentiol to meet
again the national conference COM
mittee of the railways on March Is
for the purpose of making another
effort to adjust the pending eight
hour controversy.
I'VE are very hopeful of working
out satisfactory adjustment with
the railroads, but, if while we are he
gotiating our country should become
involved in war, we want to assure
you, as chief executive of the nation,
that we and the membership we rep
resent can be relied upon to support
you to the fullest extent and that
yourself and the nation will have our
hearty and full support"
The present controversy, like that
of which it is the outgrowth, revolyes
around the eight-hour day, and more
.ruu.tu..a -. n. -. w.. r,.,.-.-- n..N