The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-05
Conference Is Held Which May
Lead to Clearing Up Trou-
BILE Affecting Thou
sands.
rs ILLEGAL WALK OUT
Grand Lodge Has Not Sanctioned
Move Of Men Who are Quit
ting at Many
Places.

CUnited Press Leased Wire SerVtce-J
CHICAGO. Aug. 5.-Conferences
here today were expected to go far
toward clearing up the strike Of rail
way shopmen throughout the coun-
try. Union leaders declared nearly
250,000 men were already affected,
10000 of them in the Chicago indus
trial district.
A first attempt was to be a series
of conferences between six chairmen
of grand lodges of the railway depart
ment OF the American Federation OF
Labor and railway executives. A
second was to be through the United
States Justice. Railway executives
were said to be ready to ask inves-
legations of the present and threat
ened strikes on the plea that they
were unauthorized and Illegal.
President Hawyer, Of the grand
lodge, asserted the union central
council is acting without orders and
in disobedience to the will of the
whole union.
Regional Director r. H. Ashton
declared traffic SO far has not been
in peril He said he expected a
speedy return of the striking shop
men.
"The strike from the first has
lacked grand lodge sanction" said
Ashton. II understand the men
have been ordered back to work by
officials in Washington"
Ten thousand men quit work at
Minneapolis yesterday, according to
union claims. Three thousand were
reported idle at indianapolis, while
thousands of others were said to be
out at many railway shops through
out the central west.
Taking Strike Vote.
[By Ralph Couch, United Press Staff
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-First re-
turns were expected today at the
American Federation of Labor Offices
on the strike vote now being taken
by 100000 railroad shopmen.
Although the complete poll will
not be tabulated until August "a.
under the strike vote ORDER Of the
American Federation OF Labor rail
way department, returns probably
will be coming in all this week, Off
cials said.
Officials of the six big shop unions
today moved to curb leaders who,
they say. have stampeded 10000
workers into unauthorized local
strikes.
A committee now is taking action
to stop further local striking until
the complete vote is returned.
President Bert M. Jewell, of the
A. F. Of L., railway department, to-
day awaited word from the white
house Jewell late yesterday led a
delegation which told President VIII
son his plan for solving the question
of wage demands is entirely made
quate."
Officials Of the unions believe the
next move is up to the president.
He, they suggest, can urge congress
to pass appropriation bills giving the
railroad administration more money
with which to meet wage demands,
not only for the shopmen, but for
the trainmen and conductors who
have asked increases averaging forty
and thirty-five percent respectively.
The shopmen's demand is for an in.
crease averaging approximately
twenty-five percent.
To Strike Today.
ST. PAUL, MINI, Aug. 5-Between
eight and ten thousand shopmen in
the Twin Cities and about 25,000 en-
ployed by railroads throughout the
northwest were to strike today, ac'
cording to union officials. Three thou
sand St Paul shopmen voted almost
unanimously last night to strike.
The action was taken despite ef.
forts of union officials to get the men
to await the nationwide strike vote
called for August "a Failure of nego-
tiations at Washington to bring i'm
mediate wage increases or immediate
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