The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-29
CHICAGO
Street RAIL way
men walk OUT
Strike Voted at Midnight
Mass Meeting - Traffic
Conditions Serious.
(By Associated Press)

(By Associated Press)
and street railway employees went on
strike for higher wages at o'clock
this morning, completely tying up the
surface and elevated systems of the
city.
The worst traffic conditions that
Chicago has faced in many years pre-
vailed in the down town "loop dis
trict" today No traffic policemen
were on duty, most of them being de-
tailed to riot squads in the black belt,
and trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, one
horse express wagons, taxicabs and
touring cars of various types, jammed
the crossings.
Every vehicle was loaded to extreme
capacity by persons seeking to reach
places of employment and the side
walks were crowded with pedestrians
who chose walking as the best means
of overcoming the stoppage of surface
and elevated railway service.
Drivers Ignore Danger.
Despite the peril to passengers and
pedestrians drivers almost without ex-
ception, forced their vehicles through
the crossing tangle with reckless
abandon.
Street car companies made no at
tempt to run cars and workers depend
ed on steam lines, automobiles and 9TH
| er vehicles to reach their places of
business. Early last night heads of
! the unions and officials of the street
| railway companies reached an agree
ment to fix the wages of the men at
approximately IS cents an hour, and
grant an eight hour day with time and
half for overtime. 1t was thought
this action would avert a walk out
but at mass meeting shortly before
midnight the men repudiated an
agreement and employees voted to
strike at o'clock today.
The employees demanded IS cents
an hour, an increase of II per cent
over present wages, an eight hour day
and time and half for overtime.
Strike Vote Unanimous.
Six thousand of the surface and
elevated men attended the meeting
at the carmen's auditorium at which
the strike vote was carried with a
shout that appeared almost unani-
nous. Representatives Of the men
attempted to give an explanation Of
the negotiations between themselves
and the companies officials at
which the compromise was reached:
but the men swept their officials. from
control Of the meeting. Boosting one
of their number, said to represent
the radical element in the union to
the platform the men carried the
| strike vote with roar, then pro-
claimed in favor of an eighty-five
cents an hour wage. an eight hour
day, six hour day Sunday and six
day week.
For two hours William Quinlan,
president of the Carmen's union,
fought to get the compromise propo-
aided by other officials. Finally l..
D. Bland, member of the Internation-
al Board of the union, attempted to
place the terms of the agreement as
to wages before the meeting. Get
ting brief silence he said:
Remember men we are not fighting
the traction companies in this matter.
We are fighting the Chicago public
"PubIic Be Damned"
''To hell with the public; the public
be damned several shouted and
Bland threw up his hands and sat
down. Quinlan attempted to talk to
the surface men and William Mylan,
president Of the elevated trainmen' 8
division of the Union made another
futile effort to be heard but a crowd
lifted Charles Dreckman, a conductor
to the platform and thereafter those
favoring rejection of the wage com
promise were out of control Of the
gathering.
The strike vote carried shortly be-
! fore midnight with the provision that
the walkout take place at a. M AS
soon as it carried, runners went to
nearby elevated stations and notified
the crews of each train as it rolled ur
to the platform. Others went to sur
face car lines and boarded street cars
. to inform the crews Within an hour
all employees had the information and
by a little after o'clock this morn
.. ing the last of the cars had been rur
: into the barns. By 4:30 o'clock the
= barn doors were rolled shut and the
strike was in force. w. NJ. Weather
wax, superintendent of transportation
said they would remain shut until his
superiors ordered them opened for 6
resumption of service
Meantime large manufacturers anc
shop keepers had accepted the infor
nation conveyed by the late edition:
Of the evening papers and early extras
: of the morning papers that danger O
t a strike had passed through a wage
! agreement reached by representative.
9 of the men and the companies AS
4 result there was little preparation fo1
4 conveyance of workers to places O
S employment and business.