The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-07-28

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the trans-continental freight traffic OF
the United States was paralyzed today
as result of the switchmen's strike,
called in Chicago at 6 a. M
Ninety per cent Of the cross-country
traffic clears through this city. Shortly
before noon the railways admitted
that they were moving only about 80
per cent of their normal freight traf-
fic They claimed. however, that pas
senger traffic was practically normal.
All munitions and other govern
ment business was being given the
right of way over everything else and
the railways reported that this class
| of traffic was being moved in good
shape"
| Uncle Sam has his eye on the stu
alton, in the person of G. w. w. Han
gar, member of the federal board of
mediation and Cancellation. Hangar
came here Thursday to investigate
the threatened telegraphers' strike on
the Rock Island railway. The switch
men already had taken a strike vote
when ne arrived, however, and on the
/ request of railway representatives he
proposed mediation to the switchmen.
! The switchmen had sent their rep
resentatives to the various yards and
| a meeting with Hangar was lmpossl-
| Bile at that time, but James Murdoch,
vice president of the Brotherhood OF
Railway Trainmen-of which the ma
jority Of the striking swttchmen are
m embers-assured the government
representative that he would get the
committee together as soon as posi-
BILE and put the matter of mediation
up to them. This may be accomplish
ed late today. Hangar is not In
position to force any action by either
side, but it Is known that in case the
strike seriously threatens government
business any report he may make to
the war department would be acted on
| at once. u 6. District Attorney Clyne
admitted that federal operatives were
watching the progress of the strike
and that ANY interference with the
movement of government trafnc
would be dealt with promptly"
The strike, according to the rail-
ways Ia, in a way, a union fight The
switchmen holding membership in the
Brotherhood Of Railway Tratnmen
took the Initiative today because, the
railways allege, they were refused a
closed shop in their favor which
would give them preference over
members Of the Switchmen's Union of
North America and nonunion switch
men. The railways say there are
labout $4,000 each of the Brotherhood
Of Railway Trainmen and Switchmen's
Union Of North America and about
500 non-unionists.
i According to the railways the
Switchmen's Union of North America,
which is affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor, is aiding them in
the strike by importing strike break
ers. The Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen, on the other hand, main
tains that many Switcnmen's Union
of North America men and non-union-
lists have gone out with them.
The railways today gave out the fol
lowing figures on the amount OF
freight being moved by seventeen of
the nineteen railways affected:
Santa Fe, so per cent; Baltimore
and Ohio, nearly 100 per cent: Belt
!, Line, 80 per cent; Alton, 100 per
cent; Erie 50 per cent; Northwestern
so per cent; Burlington, 30 per cent:
!, Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul, sc
. per cent; Chicago and Western Indi
ana, 80 per cent; Chicago Junction
(Union stock yards) 33 per cent; Hi
nois Central, so per cent; New York
Central, so per cent: Nickel Plate, SO
per cent; Monon, so per cent; Wab
ash, % per cent; Pennsylvania, good
: shape" Baltimore and Ohio Termi
nal. good shape"
Only a few of the railways have de
. clared embargoes, and these were on
live stock and perishable freight.
In a statement giving the strikers
version Of their fight with the rail
roads, Murdoch said:
; More than SO per cent Of the
switchmen in Chicago yards are on
strike, and these include members OF
the Switchmens Union OF North
America and the unorganized men as
well. There are 3.400 members OF
the Brotherhood of Railway Train
men here. There are only 701 switch
men in the Switchmen's Union OF
North America and not $500 as the
railways contend.
I'VE asked the railways to make an
agreement to employ not less than 50
per cent brotherhood members This
they refused to do. It has been the
practice on many lines to give broth
erhood members preference, but on
some lines the companies have deliher.
ately given preference to members OF
the Switcbmen's Union of North Amer.
ica or non-unfon men, so that the per.
centage of the employees belonging to
the Brotherhood Of Railway Trainmen
might be kept down below fair work.
ing percentage.
There is. no desire to insist on the
closed shop, but it is contended that
if, as an organization, the Brotherhood
Of Railway Trainmen is expected to
II mako pOnd IN contracts neoofiotod