The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-06
BIC STRIKE is ON
Nearly 10000 Men Are Out in
Seattle Today.
General WalkOut Sympathizing
With Shipyard Workers.

seattle, rep. o.-Seallle general
strike was called at the scheduled
time, 10 m. today. First reports
from the down town section said union
street car men started their cars for
the barns at 10 o'clock. union eleva-
tor operators in all the large buildings
abandoned their cars and restaurants
closed their doors when their union
cooks and walters left. The strike
grew out of the demands of 10000
shipward workers.
Practically all industry was at a
standstill.
Newspapers will publish as usual.
Distribution of food was curtailed,
allowance being made to supply milk
to hospitals and for babies. Street
cars, however, were running and
threatened close down of electric pow
er plants did not occur.
| The unions plan to run fifteen pub
lie eating houses. -wherezthe general
public, as well as the strikers will be
given meals at stated hours at small
cost. Practically all restaurants
The strike affects approximately
900 workers directly. OF these So
900 are shipyards workers and the
others are sympathetic strikers.
! Will Use "Moral Suasion."
| The strike committee has issued a
statement that it will maintain it's own
/ police, but will not furnish them with
guns. Moral suasion" will be used
to disperse crowds.
No trouble has ensued during the two
weeks of the shipbuiiders' strike, but
no attempt had been made by the
shipyard owners to open their yards.
The strike is in sympathy with 3O,-
! 900 striking ship workers who are at
loggerheads with the United States
shipping board over the Macy award.
| Thus far Seattle labor leaders at
tempts to obtain general walkouts at
| Tacoma, Portland and San Francisco
| have failed. The ship workers at
| Portland and San Francisco have re-
mained at work. Those at Tacoma are
| striking
| Interest was divided today between
plans of. labor leaders and the attitude
| of Mayor Ole Hanson of Seattle, one of
the picturesque figures of the north
west 80
| Hanson declared that not only
| would order be maintained, but he
would operate the city's utilities, keep
| ing the city lighted and the cars run
4, ming, if necessary. He is prepared to
swear in 10000 policemen and will
have details from Camp Lewis and
Bremerton naval station and Univer-
. sity school.
The street car mems union voted
early today to go out at 10 o'clock
with the OCher union men.
Will Not Tolerate Disorder.
The unions have declared they will
not tolerate disorder. They have or
ganized a police force of their own
equal in size to the city force and have
a well established system of supplies
and benefits designed to prevent suf-
lfering.
Citizens and merchants. fearing a
complete tieup and possible famine,
have for several days been collecting
{. food supplies from all nearby cities
until Portland commission men have
been forced to keep employees lworkine
nights to meet the orders. So great
has been the demand that Portland
i reports a temporary scarcity of sup
plies for her people.
/ Chairman Piez of the shipping
board declared in numerous state
ments that the board could not in fair
ness to ship workers in other districts
go above the Macy award, which had
been sanctioned by officials of the
American Federation of Labor, as well
board. Piez has published his state
ments in several full page advertise
ments in newspapers up and down the
Pacific coast.
/ He characterized the strike here as
a Colossal mistake" because the ship
building industry sis at stake"
/ In Hands of Manager Piez.
4 Washington. Feb. 6.-"The Seattle
strike is entirely in the hands oi
General Manager Piez, of the shipping
board" it was said at his office.
Piez is in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile labor department head.
were awaiting information from ths
! general situation there before taking
action.
Disregarded Their Covenant.
Wilkesbarre, Pa. Feb. 6.-"Ths
i 10000 ship builders who are now OF
i, strike in the Seattle district, have de
liberately disregarded the covenan
made with the United States govern
ment thru the emergency fleet corpo
: ration, altho they had sacrediy prom
, ised to continue work under the term
81 of agreement set out by the Mac,
;, wage arbitration board. until Marcel
: 81, 1919" was the statement o
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