The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-06
HIGH COST OF LIVING
 CAUSE OF STRIKE, IS
 STATEMENT MADE
Publicity Committee of the Strikers Makes Statement as to Conditions-Says
 Men Called Strike

| Local striking shopmen made defi-
 nite statements yesterday morning ex-
 blaming their position through their
 local publicity committee. The state
 ment was to the effect that they were in the strike to win and that the high
 cost of living and the failure of their | leaders to handle their grievances sat , isfactorily with the railway officials ! had caused the walkout of the men. They state that the present eco homie conditions and the steadily in creasing cost of living leave no al- | formative but to strike for higher
 wages. They not only state this but also say that discrimination has been | shown in many cases against mechan- l ics employed in railroad shops for a | number of years past.
 The statement given out by the pub i iicity committee follows:
 Since January 1 the shop crafts em- l-rloyed in the railroad shops have
 worked with patience. hoping that each
 day might bring word that our de- | mands for more wages on the railroad 1 administration had been met These
 negotiations between representatives of l employees and officials of the railroads [ ] When the employees discovered that
 the railroad administration had given 1 wage increase for shop employees nc l serious consideration the sentiment of ] the men arrived at the erupting point
 The strike was called by the men l themselves. owing to the failure oi
 our representatives to bring the prop CT pressure to bear on the railroad administration. The present economic
 conditions are of such nature that ev- | cry man on strike feels that he is jus | tified in taking this move. In the | face of the proposed advance in rents i foods. clothing and all the necessities
 of life there seems to be no alterna- tive but to exercise the power vested in our organization. It has been re- ported through the press that there Is soon to be an increase in rentals of from 25 to 150 per cent and all other | commodities are advancing likewise 1 These things should be seriously con- sidered by the public. before too nasty | opinions are formed of this action on
 the part of the shop employees.
 There has been discrimination | against mechanics employed in rail- i road shops for a number of years
 Mechanics receiving from 10 to 25 cents | per hour less in railroad shops than
 mechanics in other industries. Their | expenses are none the smaller because | of the fact that they work for gov
 ernment controlled railroads.
 ITO summarize the opinions Of the l men as expressed unanimously by a | body of 25o0 at mass meeting at the 1 Jefferson theatre yesterday morning each and every one is of the opinion | that economic conditions have forced 1 the issue, and we intend to stay out
 until word is received that our de nands have been met
 PUBLICITY COMMITTEE C. E. Larkin, machinists; w. j. Sul
 llvan. bIacksmiths; Marshall, electri
 clans; Hackey, carmen; c. Stallings i sheet metal workers; w. J. Robinson l boitermakers; w. F. Spain, secretary.
 Statements were made by one of th' evening papers yesterday that the cler 1 ical men now in the employ of tho
 railroads were donning overalls anC 1 doing the work of the carmen. This was bitterly refuted by J S. Dodd ! secretary of the Brotherhood of Rail
 way Clerks yesterday, when inter 1 viewed by a represN ntative of The Age Herald. 1 He said "The statement to the CT | feet that clerical men were stepping | in the places of the strikers is ab- 1 solutely untrue as far as our union iS concerned, according to the best of my | information. l have taken particular l care that in case such thing as men ] toned did happen that l would be no- 1 tified and I have recelved no sucf
 notification.
 Tt may be that there are very l few clerical men who are not affiliated l with our union have taken the places
 of several of the car men"