The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-07-28
CLOG TRAFFIC
IN CHICAGO
FREIGHT ZONE
Half of Trans Continental
Shipments Blocked
By Walk Out.

CHICAGO, July 2S.- Nearly
half of the transcontinental freight
traffic of the United States was
paralyzed as result of the switch
mans strike called in Chicago at
six o'clock this morning. Six hun
dred men are out in the Indiana
Calumet district.
Ninety per cent of the cross
country traffic clears through this
city. Shortly before noon the rail
roads admitted that they were
moving only about fifty per cent of
their normal freight traffic. They
claimed however that passenger
traffic was practically normal.
All munition and other govern. .lcnt
business was being given the right of
way. and the railroads reported that
this class Of traffic was being moved
in good shape"
u s. AGENTS WATCH
Uncle Sam had his eye or the s.tu-
alton in the person of G. W. Hangar.
member Of the federal board of med-
alton and Cancellation. Hangar came
here Thursday to investigate the
threatened telegraph strike on the
Rock Island railroad. The switchmen
already had taken a strike vote when
he arrived and on request of the rail
roads he proposed mediation to the
switchmen.
The switchmen had sent their repre-
sentatives to the various yards and
meeting with Hangar was impossible
at that time, but James Murdoch, vice
president of the Brotherhood of 4iail-
road trainmen, of which the majority
of the striking switchmen are members
assured the government represents
tives he would get the committee to-
gether as soon as possible and put
mediation UP to them. This may be
accomplished late today
Hangar is not in a position to force
anX action by either side, but it 5
known in case the strike seriously
threatens government business. anv
report he may make to the war de-
partment would be acted on at once.
STRIKE A UNION FIGHT.
The strike. according to the rail
roads is in g. way union fight The
switchmen holding membership in the
B. of r. T. took the initiative TO-DAY
because. the railroads allege thew were
refused a CLOSED shop in their favor
which would give them preference
o-er members of the Switchmen's Tn
ion of North America and non.unio1
switchmen.
The railroads say there are about
$500 B. of r. T. and S. L. N. a. and
about $500 non-union men.
United States District Attorney
Clyne admitted that. federal operatives
were watching the progress of the
strike and that ANY interference w4tn
the movement of government traffic
would be dealt with promptly"
NON OUT.
According to the railroads the S. L.
N. A. which is affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, is aid
ing them by importing strike break
ers. The B. r. T. on the other hand
maintains that many S. L. y. A. men
and non-uniopists have gone out with
them.
The railroads gave out the follow
ing figures on the amount of freight
being moved by seventeen of the nine
teen railroads affected
santa re, 40 per cent. Baltimore &
Ohio. nearly 100 per cent; Belt Line. so
per cent; Alton. 100 per cent: Erie. so
per cent: Northwestern, so per cent;
Burlington. 50 per cent: Chicago. Mil
waukee & St Paul. so per cent; Chi
cago Junction. 3s per cent: Illinois
Central so per cent; New York Central.
80 per cent; Nickel Plate. so per cent:
Monon. so per cent; Wabash. 25 per
cent: Pennsylvania. good shape: Bal
timore & Ohio. so per cent.
Six hundred members of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen in the In
diana Calumet region walked out this
morning at o'clock in keeping with
the strike order called by Chicago
brotherhood sectional leaders yester-
day. Between 1000 and $500 yardmen
have quit their jobs in the Chica GO dis
trict
The men are after the closed shop
to stop the nineteen railroads in the Vi
cinity of Chicago affected from hiring
and firing" yardmen and selecting their
own yardmasters and assistant yard
masters The Switchrnans urion, un-
affected. declares the railroads are, but
the third party in an attempt to crush
their organization out of existence.