Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-13
WALKOUT
spreads TO OTHER TOWNS
STRIKERS Say Every Important En-
ployec In Southeastern Depart
ment Will Join Them.
0isFICIALs SAY NO CHANGE,
contend That Absent Men Arc Being
H. Replaced and That Tic-Up May BE
Observation-Disclosures No Conference
Has Been Asked.

.sssI.apse of twenty four hours has
brought no material change in the sit
uation here resulting from the walk
gut of about nifty employees OF the
TheI original strike Mo nEHS nigh, ' toi-
lowed the discharge OF two employees
In Richmond and three others outside
tsthis city, after the managcment re-
fused to rcinstatc the men before prom
\ 1sed investigation of the charges of
geE1;ses of d Wi;;, since ,ha, timS; ae
fntendent of the company here, about
4 twenty men have been replaced and the
others will be if the strikers stay out
long enough. otherwise the time has
neen spent in the making and publish
ing of replies.
gsaTThere has been no conference looking
Z tQ3aa settlement of the difference, said
Mr. Weaver last night. because the
: strikers have asked no conference, but
are working the matter out among
Z themselves However. IT has been
/. stated by the officials that they offered
toflnvesttgate the discharge nf the two
stances warranted Both sides are TAX
ahEthr ell, pos.0n tha, the other has act
howsver, that they had been able to
handle the. perishahie goods. and,
though handicapped in handling mcr-
) ,GhandiSe, were gradually rcplenishinS
their forces.
CHARLESTON EMPLOYEES
IL ALSO JOIN STRIKERS
x According to reports the strike is
spreading into other States, although
the strike here is claimed by the en-
ployers 10 be of local concern and in
SolvinE only the negligence OF the two
men dismissed. Local employees of the
Southern Express Company at Charles
ION, s G. Went on a strike yesterday
: over the discharge of five employees.
and strike leaders announced that the
Waikout would extend TO all Southern
Express Offices. Statements from that
city stated that Il conference WAS be
gun in ltichmond yesterday to settle
the question. Officials here knew moth
ing of such a conference. unless the
statement referred to meeting of the
strikers. q. W. Cole general agent,
with offices here. charged the walkout
partly TO jealousy, OF the local union
towards the Brotherhood of Railway
IMPRESS EMPLOYEES; and thought the
action arbitrary: while the employees
countercharge is that their employers
have been intolerable. 1t has been
stated that the question of wage does
of the. employees. however. went out
Monday night, and about twenty fol-
lowed yesterday.
~. y. Berry, general chairman of the
ENpress Employees Division, Brother
hood of Railway Clerks, has issued the
following statements:
After taking three strike votes
within the last ten days and making
essesT snor! q avoid draste ae'oq i.
10 handle any express, matter except
government express in the Southeastern
and South Atlantic departments OF the
american hallway Express Company.
Every important express employee at
Richmond wen, out, and from Wash
imeton, -. c. TO Jacksonville. Fla, and
westward 10 the Mississippi River the
employees are presenting II solid front.
CHARGE oEElCiAiS FORCED
AS If the unsettled grievances OF
the express employees did not const
lutc sufhcient reasons 10 cause drus
Lie action the company has insisted on
forcing them to WALK out by discharg-
4 lnE three express employees at Rich-
niond, VINO are members Of the union.
A. - 4
1.-Two, men at Savannah, Ca After re-
peated attempts by not only local COM
mittees OF the express employees. hut
pS appeals from the grand officers of
The brotherhood of Railway CLERKS 10
nave NE men reinsiated, this was re-
company and the employees walked
out. The men are not government
employees In any sense of the word.
hating officials that have so long tried
70 beat down the workers in the en-
ploy OF the company.
lated to use every weapon 10 night the
union OF the express employees, and a
Take union has been organized under
their auspicc" andi. then formally
recognized las L.e- express company ana
ATTEMPTS made TO force the employees
ager J. b. Hockaday himself hms
peddled around among the express en-
/ Dioyees Tie literature 81 this company
!, promoted union. as well as the minor
officials al Richmond. The files of the
express employees union are open TO
any public official VINO cares to satisfy
htpself that the express EMPLOYEES
have endured oppression and gricvanccs
such as no other organized body Of
workers IN America have had TO bear
SAY THEY WE'RE PROMPTED
Bi SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM
Through spirit OF patriotism. and
mat alone, did they make the reason
able enoris they did TO secure a peace
iul settlement OF differences They
nave appealed TO the National War La
Dor Board and 10 the United states
railroad administration without results
Of. any Kind. and in the meantime
these grievances are being added to
every day The final straw that broke
the ramcl's back, however. was the ar
bitrary discharge OF six of our union
members in the South Atlantic depart
ment OF the American Railway EN-
press Company, Of which General Man
aEer j. B. Hockaday Is the head Official
rs we made the fat demand for rein
statement OF these employees and the
waIkout was precipitatcu upon thu. re-
fusal Of Mr.. Hockaday TO meet This
demand. MIR. Hockaday wrote ono OF
the members that he would investigate
the discharge Of the men bui would
baye to consid them under suspcnsion
until then. 1nasmuch as MIR iiockadav
has failed utterly 10 attend 30 gricy-
ances in his hands for several months
We: could not accept his offer TO in
.yestisatc.
CESSATION OF POSSIBILITIES