Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-06
SHOP STRIKERS
REFUSE PLEAS
OF TOLLERTON
Rock Island Road Official Gains
Nothing By Asking Men To Re-
turn To Work.
fspecial Moline service.l


Silyis shop strikers yesterday
afternoon refused the proposition
of W. ]. Tollerton of Chicago, gen
eraI mechanical superintendent of
the Rock Island system, TO go back
to their jobs at the old salary,
pending the general strike of rail-
roads called for Aug. "a The old
rate is IS cents an hour. The men
are asking a uniform wage of IS
cents an hour.
Mr.. TolIerton admitted that the
Rock Island lines are crippled in
this section and pleaded with the
committee of the Silvis Federated
Crafts to have the men return I'M
til a settlement is made, probably
before Aug. "A, or to work until
that date of the strike.
S. W. MulliniX, superintendent Of
the shops, this morning declared
that traffic is not tied up. Mr.. Toll
lerton's visit here yesterday and
today was fruitless. Nothing was
accomplished. The men absolute
ly refused to listen to a proposition
where they would have to go back
to work for any set time at the old
wage. Mr.. Tollerton had no au-
thority to make any other prop
osition. He was to leave for Chi
cago this afternoon. No further
meetings were to be held with the
strikers today.
Clerks who are rumored to be
contemplating walking out soon
are still on the job in Silvis. This
mornings reports are that over
one hundred clerks are out at the
Rock Island plant in Cedar Rap
ids. Men coming under the main
tenance and ways department are
still sticking.
Not Violating Orders.
At a meeting this morning of the
committee of the Silvis federated
crafts, the men emphaticaly de-
MED the reports given to the press
yesterday from Washington that
shopmen are disobeying orders
from the grand lodge officers. They
declared that all rulings from the
national order are being needed
and will be, unless the grand lodge
tries to make an agreement for less
money than the men are asking.
One member of the committee this
morning said that in fact, the
grand lodge officers would like to
shake hands with the crafts for
taking the step they did.
The statement issued by the COM
mittee to the press today, denying
Secretary Sanders assertion to the
Associated Press, is:
THE Silvis federation wishes to
inform the press that the state
ment attributed to ]. Z. Sanders,
secretary to the Chicago district
council, is erroneous and that the
statement does not
express the sentiment of the men
on strike. Mr.. Sanders is quoted as
saying that the men will not take
orders issued by the grand lodge
officers, and that they refuse to ne
strike through the grand lodge Of
fcers.
This statement has most likely
been miSconstrued, for the mean
ing Secretary Sanders wishes to
convey to the men on strike is that
the men will not consider any set
Element through the grand lodge
officers that will call for less than
the original demands.
Must Meet Demands.
1T is understood that the men
will take the orders from the
grand lodge officers providing
those orders are in accordance
with the original demands of the
striking shop crafts. All men on
strike are members of the six bona
fide shop crafts and are affiliated
with the Railroad Employment de-
partment. American Federation of
(Signed)
Labor. (Signed.)
"a. L. ZIMMERMAN, Pres.
III. A WHITTEMORE, Sec"
@-GE0EF -"